Someone to Protect
by MissWitch250
Summary: AU Kagura and Kanna were dead. So how could Shippou have seen them in modern-day Tokyo? Reincarnations? Or was the evil never really destroyed? Sessh/Kagu Koug/Ayam Kag/Inu Read and Review, a whole lot better than it sounds! rated just in case.
1. All In One Day

Couples: Kagura/Sesshomaru, Kagome/Inuyasha Ayame/Kouga

Names and Ages:

Main characters for this story

Kaze Kagura (Kazane) - 16

Ookami Kouga– 24

Shiro Ayame - 19

Hanyou Inuyasha - 18

Higurashi Kagome – 15

Kumo Naraku - 45

Supporting Characters

Tashio Sesshomaru - 28

Kitsune Shippou– 39

Kumo Kanna (Kagami) - 17 (looks younger)

Hikigaeru Jaken– older than before

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Okay, here are some notes that may be needed throughout the story.

The AU takes place after Kagura's death. After that, it's all up to my imagination. All that I can really give away is that Kagura and Kanna were reborn in Kagome's time, and Sesshomaru, Kouga and Shippou are still alive from the feudal era, and have respectable jobs (and no, Kouga is NOT a male stripper!)

For all Miroku Sango shippers, I'm sorry, I would have LOVED to have them in this fanfic, but I'm afraid that I didn't have anywhere to put them. But I will be mentioning them in later chapters!

If any of you think that a character should/n't be in this story, leave a review and rant about it if needed, and i will rant right back about why i did/n't put them in! but I'll have you know, characters i didn't put in here, it's because i didn't think that they'd have a really good place, and for characters i did (and they didn't really fit, or weren't really needed) I fought really, really hard to make it believable for them to be there!

I'm going to say this once, now, so that I don't have to say it again, and get really, really bored of it. I do NOT own Inuyasha, or anything else other than the story plot!

And finally, many parts of this story are not for child eyes. I have included violence, crude language, sexual situations, and drug abuse. I STRONGLY suggest that younger children and wimpy men not read the following. Seriously, it's not suitable for you. And now, ON WITH THE SHOW!

**All In One Day**

**.bruises and drugs.**

The young woman's reflection in the mirror winced as her fingers gently poked the dark bruise that had begun to blossom above her left cheek, just below her eye. Not even an hour after the assault and the left side of her face was tinted an ugly green. Soon, purple and black would be added, unless she did something about it quickly.

Kaze Kagura sighed and dabbed a special herbal ointment gingerly on her left cheek. Even with her healing, her boss's punches had left their marks on her, and though her face would be flawless by the next morning, the bruise would still be visible for an entire day.

"Damn it all." Kagura hissed, and smashed the mirror with the ointment's small metal container. Glass fragments fell, and shattered on the old, wooden desk below. The wind witch barely flinched as tiny shards of glass impaled her pale hands. Large, red droplets of blood appeared, and Kagura sneered at her hands in disgust and frustration.

Her face was one thing. Her boss's clients were accustomed to girls with bruises or cuts on their face. Only the picky ever complained. No, a beat face was nothing to cry about. Hands though... No guy wants a girl with scabs on her hands. Not in her profession.

Kagura let out a shaky breath. She hadn't realized that she wasn't breathing. With jerky movements, she pushed back the wooden chair that she was sitting on, and winced when she heard the loud scraping noise she made. It was still early in the morning, and people were still sleeping in the large building that was her home.

Looking over her shoulder, Kagura snuck a glance around her. There were three other girls who shared a room with her, but they were all still sleeping. Only the eldest seemed to have moved since Kagura had last checked on them. The small, frail-looking Kanna had rolled over to her side, so that her back was facing the mirror that was now broken. It was unusual. Though the pale woman was seventeen, she was barely taller than a girl twelve years of age.

Kagura's sneer softened to a smile, as she noticed the silvery blue shine to her sister's hair as it fanned over her pillow. She knew that the tiny woman would be upset about the shattered looking glass. The strange, inexpressive girl was always fond of mirrors. Kagura would be sure to replace it as soon as she received her pay check.

The red-eyed beauty sighed as she cleared her thoughts, and remembered the reason for checking to see if she was being watched by sleeping girls. Forgetting about her bruise for the moment, Kagura reached deep into her small bag, she fumbled around for a moment, looking for her release. It was a special powder, made from something secretive, and given to her by her boss. It had a proper name, something that sounded like it belonged in a chemistry class, but Kagura only knew it as one thing. Youki Dust.

From what the wind witch understood, it was like coke, but far more powerful. Made for demons, it was addictive, dangerous, and if used too much, it could liquefy the organs of a human, having them bleed from every orifice in their body. Kagura knew of the dangers. She was only a hanyou, after all. But she also knew that she was addicted to the white power, and that there was only a down feeling to it if she started craving. The craving always took about forty-eight hours to set in.

Taking a dollar bill from her wallet, Kagura set up for her drug…

White powder on a mirror…

Tapping with a razor blade…

And the release…

Kagura didn't notice her sister standing behind her as she lay, slumped over the wooden desk. Kanna pulled the broken girl into a sitting position in the chair, and watched sadly as her head fell back, she was unconscious. Silently, Kanna cleaned up the left over powder on the small hand-held mirror, admiring the reflective surface for only a moment before returning to her task. She dumped the dangerous substance back into its bag from Kagura's purse. Kanna knew that withdrawal from Youkai Dust was fatal to half demons.

Drugs cleaned up, the pale woman turned her attention to her little sister. The bruise on her cheek had turned to purple and black, an ugly, dark smudge on the wind demon's beautiful face, and a drop of blood was trailing down from Kagura's nose, still white around the nostril.

_'I won't let you die again…' _Kanna whispered in her mind, her expression never changing.

**.Senile shop owners.**

The red-haired kitsune watched silently, a bright smile on his face, as he watched the young girl run down the shrine's steps. Even after many years, he could still recognize Kagome Higurashi from a distance, especially when she was carrying the large, yellow bag that often held strange and wonderful goodies.

Shippou's smile saddened as he continued to sweep the entrance to his small shop. So many centuries later and only a few remained from the feudal era. He, himself, could remember when he was just a small twerp, annoying a certain inu hanyou to no end. Now, of the group of beings who had sought out to destroy a common enemy, he was one of the last few survivors. Some had died during the vicious battle, and other… others were wiped out by the cruelty of humans. There were only a lucky few who had died of natural old age.

His human friends, Miroku and Sango, had died peacefully in their old age. But it was expected, and Shippou had stayed with their families till they could no longer remember a time without him, before moving on to live by himself, Kirara with him. The fox youkai could remember how the fire cat had grieved over her mistress's death. The feline was old now; streaks of silver mixing with her cream coloured fur, the black stripes on her tail and the tips of her ears had faded to almost gray, and her ruby eyes were duller. But she stayed with Shippou, and he could tell that she still had much fight left in her.

"There goes Kagome, Kirara." Shippou said softly, and the sleeping cat raised her head from the old chair that she laid on. She gave one large yawn, and mewled at the retreating figure that was an old friend.

The neko youkai and the kitsune both knew that they could never actually meet Kagome in her time. It was confusing to think about, but neither wanted to destroy the past by meddling in the present, so the two youkai took small comfort in watching her from afar.

"You know Kirara; we're like her stalkers, always watching her like this." Shippou flopped down to sit cross-legged beside Kirara's chair and rested his head on one of his hands. He knew that one day, Kagome will recognize Kirara, and that he and the fire cat would have to move away from her family's shrine to prevent it from happening.

As if hearing his thoughts, Kirara gave a blank stare to Shippou, and the fox youkai rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that _you'd_ be the one to let the cat outta the bag, pardon the pun. I mean, what if she sees Sesshomaru? I don't think that he's aged at all since we last saw Kagome, and what about Kouga? He's still around somewhere, and I don't know for sure if he'd behave himself if he saw Kag's without Inuyasha to guard her." The red haired kitsune thought to the two dogs. He had tried to keep in touch with the canine youkai, and to an extent he had succeeded.

From what he last heard, Sesshomaru was the president of an advertisement company that pretty much sponsored everything in western Japan. But he was unlikely to be recognized by the time-traveling school girl. Demons weren't common in Japan anymore, or at least, the ones as powerful as Sesshomaru weren't. Most youkai consisted of weaklings with human form, with oddities like pointed ears or strangely coloured eyes or hair. Once in a while, a green-skinned toad showed up, but they were never very popular.

But Shippou knew for a fact, that Sesshomaru went to certain lengths to hide his demon identity from the public. His facial markings were hidden from view, and his ears passed for human. Only his hair had remained the same, and there was no doubt that many women were impressed with the inu youkai's long, silver hair. Shippou was sure that only those of Japan knew of the existence of youkai, but he couldn't see how that would be a problem.

"People are less accepting, Kirara." Shippou commented sadly, thinking about his tail and ear which had to be disguised from public view, as well as Kirara's twin tails. To any mortal passing bye, Shippou was a regular, thirty year old man with a really old and tiny cat. Although Sesshomaru had hardly aged at all, the kitsune's age in appearances had surpassed both the dog demon and Kouga.

Shippou smirked as he thought of the hot headed leader of wolves, as Kirara slipped back into the light sleep of cats. Miraculously, Kouga had matured enough to ensure his pack's survival, or at least what was left of them. The wolf pack had to move from the mountains to the city, and surprisingly, there they had thrived. Kouga was the chief of an underground police force of sorts. They were outlaws of Japan, and Shippou was almost positive that there was an actual bounty on Kouga's head, but they made the citizens of Tokyo happy and safe.

Shippou stood up and got back to work straightening out the entrance to his little shop. It was a cute little store that tourists often mistook for a place to get small souvenirs and gifts for family members back home. But Shippou never complained. He even sold the small Shikon no Tama key chains from the Nichibotsu shrine (a profit of which always went to Kagome's family, of course).

The kitsune stopped sweeping as he heard footsteps approach his store. Glancing up from his work Shippou's heart nearly stopped, and probably wouldn't have started again if he hadn't remembered how to breathe. His chest muscle pumping wildly, Shippou could feel his pulse deep in his throat and at the tips of his fingers. Beside him, Kirara hissed, hatred clearly visible in her eyes.

Across the street, just passing the Higurashi shrine, walked a young woman. From appearances alone, she looked no older than fifteen, and even from his distance, Shippou could see a bright bruise just below her left eye. The young woman walked past the shrine without a glance, and Shippou took in every detail.

Her hair was a dark brown, almost black, its tangled waves flowing down her back. The dress she wore was sickeningly familiar; a long, white and sleeveless summer dress with diagonal maroon stripes that resembled the white and maroon kimono a woman had worn five hundred years ago. Everything about this woman screamed Kagura, a detachment from Naraku.

The young girl glanced over to Shippou, and he could see the ruby orbs of her eyes. The horrified fox demon barely noticed when the girl gave a smile-less wave; a passing-by hello. He ignored her completely when he had picked up her scent. She reeked of blood and miasma…. She reeked of Naraku!

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Okay, first chappie! Hurray for me! If you have any questions, do NOT be afraid to ask me, or if you just want to say how much you love this story, or if you have any issues about my story, please, just review!

And don't expect this to be updated right away... just saying.


	2. Business As Usual

**Kazane** means noise of the wind. I think that it would be a suitable name for Kagura

**Kagami** means Mirror, again, I think that it's appropriate.

**Kumo** means Spider

I would like to apologize for the lack of imagination for Jaken. But seriously, i can't picture the thing in anything else. as for Ginta and Hakkuka, it's how I'd imagine them if they'd lived in Kagome's time.

**Business As Usual**

**.cold as ever, sesshomaru.**

The head director of the west end advertisement company was pacing in his office, his mind troubled, when a disgusting little toad barged in. Sesshomaru suppressed a slight groan at the appearance of his 'most loyal subject'. The tiny toad had grown old in his years of following Sesshomaru; his green skin had a yellow tint to it, his face held more wrinkles, and Sesshomaru was amused to find that his ears were stuffed with white hair. Though the green imp still insisted on wearing the potato-sack robe and black hat from the feudal era, much to the daiyoukai's annoyance.

"Lord SESSHOMARU!" Jaken screeched, and by sheer force of will, Sesshomaru controlled the tick at the corner of his lip. Jaken tended to, as some of his employees would say, 'flip shit' when he showed emotion.

"Hai." Sesshomaru's voice was cold and calculated, completely devoid of expression.

"I-I-I'm sorry sir, but this miserable little _rodent _seems to demand your attention, and he won't _leave_!" Jaken screeched again, and this time, Sesshomaru had to fight to stop himself from smacking the imp.

"Show him in."

"Ah, my master, I knew that you wouldn't want to be disturbed by such intrude- WHAT!" Jaken cut himself off mid-sentence, and Sesshomaru could have sworn that the green man's eyes had bulged.

"Show him in, Jaken." The daiyoukai's voice was pure ice, and Jaken trembled. After all the imp and the Inu youkai had been through, Jaken knew that his master was one to fear when his orders were not obeyed. Everything about Sesshomaru's appearance screamed power, and he was known for people leaving his presence clearly impressed with what they saw. He kept his silver hair long, his care for it never changing, even after the invention of Herbal Essences, but his daiyoukai marking were gone, concealed from human eyes. The business suit that he wore was black, with silver pin-stripes, and his tie was of flawless white silk, with a reddish-pink octagon pattern here and there. Young, tall, and handsome, by appearances he was a very likable business associate. By personality, he was cold, calculating, and indifferent

"Ah, yes sir. RACHEL! SEND HIM IN!" Jaken bellowed towards the great silver double doors of Sesshomaru's office, and in turn, Sesshomaru's receptionist, a human named Rachel. The toad's little body leaving the ground momentarily with the power of his lungs, and Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

Moments later, a head of rusty red hair peeked in behind from the large doors. Sesshomaru faintly recalled a small fox demon who had traveled with the strangest of companions hundreds of years ago.

Shippou walked into the large, airy office, his hands fidgeting together. The top of his head barely reached Sesshomaru's chest, but the kitsune appeared older than the inu youkai. While Sesshomaru had aged barely a couple of years and seemed to be in his late twenties, Shippou had grown far into his thirties to early forties. Really the daiyoukai wasn't surprised, fox youkai aged faster than his kind.

_"Rodent indeed."_ Sesshomaru thought to himself as he looked over the small man. Shippou's hair was no longer long enough to hold tied up, but it was still as messy as Sesshomaru could remember (Though he hadn't bothered to remember much of the fox). Dressed in a simple blue work shirt and brown pants, the kitsune looked casual and middle class. Certainly not someone who belonged in the office of a successful businessman as himself.

"What do you want, Kitsune?" His tone wasn't friendly, but he was glad to see that Shippou had grown out of the terrified little pest from the past.

"Really, I guess that I don't want anything. I was just wondering…" Shippou trailed off, not clear where to begin. Sesshomaru was silent, but the fox demon could see his patience wearing thin.

"Kikyou was reincarnated into this time as Kagome. That's a well known fact by both of us." Shippou started, and in the inu youkai's opinion, his sudden outburst was random and pointless. Personally, Sesshomaru had only the slightest idea of who 'Kikyou was. Some miko who had courted his bastard sibling was of no interest to him. But he was aware of the miko Kagome, and her origins.

Shippou took his company's silence as permission to continue.

"A week ago, I saw a woman. A woman who looked and smelled the same as a woman you witnessed die. Is it possible that she was reincarnated as well?" Shippou's voice was oddly calm and determined.

"And who is this woman? I've seen many women die, Kitsune. I didn't bother to remember them." Sesshomaru's tone was close to dismissing, but Shippou wasn't done.

"You'd remember Kagura."

Hearing her name after such a long time made Sesshomaru's heart jolt in his chest. Indeed, he remembered Kagura. She was probably the only one he had remembered. She had died only after seeing him one last time, but had been too late to save with Tenseiga. He remembered how Rin had insisted that 'the pretty lady' was smitten with him, though he had doubted, and blamed such accusations on the imagination of nine-year-olds.

"You do remember Kagura. You were the first and maybe only person she wanted to see while dying." Shippou's voice was soft. They had never talked about Kagura after her death; Inuyasha and Miroku didn't know how to feel about her death, if she was a friend or foe, and the girls didn't know how to talk about the death of one they knew so little about. Really, none of them knew what to think about Naraku's detatchment who had longed for freedom.

"Tenseiga wouldn't have saved her. Her soul longed to be free; it wouldn't have stayed with her." For a second, Shippou could have sworn that emotion had seeped into his voice. That Sesshomaru was trying to convince himself that what he said was the truth, instead of informing someone the facts of what had happened. But he quickly disregarded the thought. Sesshomaru was too composed to doubt anything that he said.

"You said that you saw a woman who looked like her?" Sesshomaru changed the conversation quickly, and Shippou accepted the switch.

"I saw a woman who was the spitting image of Kagura. And I don't know many people who carry the scent of miasma." Shippou thought back to the woman he had seen. Though faint, there was still a trace of the poisonous vapors of Naraku on that woman.

"If Kagura is indeed born again into this time, she wouldn't be any danger to anyone. Not without Naraku commanding her. He held her heart, Kitsune. He could call upon her death at any moment, and she knew that." It was the longest Sesshomaru had ever spoken to the young fox. It was the longest he had spoken to anyone, and the conversation was about a woman who he could not save. Shippou took his tone as dismissing, and turned to take his leave.

"Kagura was evil. She killed and smiled about it. She laughed as she murdered." His final words said, Shippou left the clean office.

Sesshomaru stood in his office in silence for a long while before turning to the green imp who had managed to stay silent the entire conversation.

"Is there something you desire, my Lord?" Jaken asked nervously. He had never seen his master hold such a long conversation.

"Cancel all my appointment for today, and reschedule. I'll be busy tonight. I have much to think about."

"Hai, sir." Jaken saluted, and bolted out of the quiet room.

**.ladies in office.**

Shino Ayame smiled smugly as she sat in the Chief's office of the Ookami clan's headquarters. The chief's lackeys pacing back and forth in front of her in the dark, cluttered room.

Even after all the years apart from them, Ayame could clearly recognize Ginta and Hakkaku, the two brothers, and at one time, the only ones left alive in Kouga's wolf pack. But that was a long time ago, and the Ookami pack had grown to a respectable population, large enough to provide force, small enough to remain mostly undetected. A hundred wolves, but only five or six females, as was preferred by most wolf demons.

As was expected, the ookami had traded their steel armor and wolf furs for street clothes, the most common being leather jackets and jeans. Hakkaku had kept his white mo-hawk, and had even gone as far as adding several piercings to his face; his right eyebrow and left ear held two gold rings, his right earlobe had only one, and a gold stud was centered right under his bottom lip. His punk look was only accented by the brown leather aviator jacket and light blue jeans.

Ginta, however, had changed his hair, though ever so slightly. His silver hair was kept combed and tamed, a smart look for him, and the black tuft of hair was parted to the left, a look that was right for a banker, not a crime-fighting bad-ass as the Ookami clan had presented themselves. As for clothing, Ginta settled for heavy, brown cargo-pants, and a black wife beater, a tribal tattoo displayed clearly on his right shoulder.

Both brothers still looked handsome in Ayame's opinion (though she was amused to find that they still didn't have eyebrows), and she blushed every time one of them glanced at her with warm eyes. She knew that the boys had missed her. Tiring quickly of their pacing, Ayame stood up and pulled both brothers into a hug.

"I missed you guys!" She laughed freely, and Ginta and Hakkuka joined her.

"Let me look at you. Civilization has changed all of us, and I want to see what it's done to you" Hakkuka said, holding the young youkai out at arms length. Ayame had indeed changed. She too had discarded the wolf furs. Instead, she wore an outfit of white. The dress that she wore was short, ending at mid thigh, and the sleeves ended at the elbows. The chest was low cut, showing the top of a red bra, but she covered herself with a white leather jacket, and she had matching knee-high boots. Around her waist was a thick, black belt. Her fire ember hair was still up in two high pig-tails, and a purple iris was still her only accessory. To Ginta and Hakkuka, she was a beauty.

"Ah, Ayame! Why are you here?" Ginta asked her, a smile on his face. He had missed Kouga's fiancee who had brought a certain charm to the pack, and he knew that everyone would love her, especially since they were waiting for Kouga to finally mate and produce an heir.

At Ginta's question, Ayame's eyes hardened, and her smile changed quickly to a frown of determination.

"I'm here for Kouga to finally take me as his bride. I'm the last of my clan now, after the years of wolf slaying by the humans." (Ginta and Hakkuka shuddered at the memory of those terrifying years, when ookami had to hide their identity or risk being horribly mutilated or killed) "I knew about this underground vigilante business you guys were running, and I. Want. In." Her tone was serious, and Hakkuka and Ginta visibly gulped at her statement. Kouga wasn't going to be happy.

"Not everyone gets what they want." A voice spoke loudly before the office door slammed shut. Ayame turned around, and came face to face with Kouga.

Her first thought was how much taller he was than her. Indeed, Ayame's head barely reached Kouga's chin, and she was certain that he could see right down her dress if he so wished.

_"Too distracted at the moment, I'll recon." _Ayame thought to herself, and glared back at the man she had recklessly loved.

"How the hell did you find this place, Ayame, and why were you allowed in?" Kouga's voice was just as rough as she remembered, and she smiled despite herself.

"I'm royalty, Kouga. Even the lowliest of wolves obey my commands, as long as they don't contradict your own, of course." Her tone was polite, but there was no warmth in her voice like there was when she was speaking with Ginta and Hakkuka. She knew that any sort of kindness would be wasted on the hard headed leader.

"I see. And how you found it?"

"I followed the scent of wet dog." Ginta and Hakkuka gasped, and Kouga glanced over to them. Ayame's voice was ice, her green eyes frozen over. Clearly, she was not impressed with how Kouga was treating her sudden appearance.

"Leave us." Kouga growled, and Ginta and Hakkuka bolted out of the office cluttered with boxes of papers and files of reports. Once the door slammed shut for the second time that day, Kouga turned his attention to his so-called fiancee. Head held low, a growl deep in his throat, Kouga made his way closer to Ayame. The look in his teal eyes was wild, and Ayame backed up as he moved forwards.

"Never insult my in front of my clan, Ayame. You may be untouchable by them, but I can still touch you, and I _will _protect the reputation, even ego, of my people." Ayame's lower back came into contact with Kouga's desk, and she held her ground, refusing to show too much fear.

"I would believe that you're clan's ego could take a hit or two." Ayame kept her voice level, even when she saw Kouga's concealment break, and his tail show from behind him. "I don't see what you're so upset about." She remarked evenly, and Kouga's minor fit of rage ended.

"I'm very busy; I have no time for brats like you." Kouga folded his arms over his chest. At that moment, he noticed the low cut dress Ayame was wearing.

"And cover yourself up, nobody needs to see those." Kouga growled, but his eyes were soft, and Ayame was almost glad to see the tint of pink on his cheeks.

Ayame sighed, and shoved some paper's over, before jumping up to sit on Kouga's desk.

"So what happened between you and the miko?" She asked softly. The strange priestess would be dead by now; surely she had no other competition for her future mate.

"She chose the mutt, had some bastards, and lived happily. I'm over it now. My family is large and healthy, and I'm not harassed by humans, as I hear you and yours were. I'm… sorry for your loss." The conversation wasn't awkward, only slow. Neither knew how or what to say.

"Grandfather is dead, and had been so, long before the humans. I don't blame them for what they did to me and mine. I pity them." Kouga raised his eyes to her, and was surprised about how regal she looked. She was the last of her family, last of the royal line. Her eyes sparkled with determination and youth, and Kouga realized that she seemed no older than nineteen in human years.

"I'm sorry, Ayame, but I can't let you be a part of this." His voice was regretful, he knew, but it was for the best. _'I lost Kagome to a mutt, I'm not gonna lose you to some corrupted humans with guns.'_

Ayame regarded him coldly.

"The mayor is corrupt, and therefore, so is the police for-" Kouga began, but was quickly cut off. Ayame's voice was powerful, enough to drown out the protesting ookami prince.

"The mayor is bought off by some low-life that you believe is living here in Tokyo." She lowered herself off Kouga's desk, continuing her little rant below eye level. "You don't know his name, what he looks like, or his area of expertise. You believe that he runs some sort of sleazy business; either a drug ring or a whorehouse, but you're not sure because you can't get any leads. I'm going to go ahead and guess that finding this man and stopping his is top priority, and fucking with the cops is just for fun?" Ayame gave a wolfish smile at her fiancee's baffled expression, and let out a light giggle when his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I did my homework, Kouga." She smirked, and when his expression didn't change, Ayame admitted defeat. The two wolves

"I know you still see me as a pup. And I can't change that. But I have no where else to go." She sighed, and looked up at Kouga, taking in his appearance.

He looked so much older than all those years ago, when she was replaced by a mere human girl. Kouga's hair was still long and held up, but he no longer wore the fur headband. Instead of furs that gave room for his legs, he wore blue jeans and a gray wife beater under a brown trench coat. He kept his tail and pointed ears under some sort of concealment charm, as most demons did those days, but Ayame was glad to see that his eyes were still those of a youkai; clear and pupil-less.

Kouga shrugged off his heavy coat, and threw it onto a pile of paper-filled boxes that were on what Ayame was sure was a couch of brown leather. Giving the red head her space, he walked over to lean on the bookshelf beside the door.

"How'd you come across the money to buy that?" Kouga nodded to Ayame's dress, and the young girl lowered her eyes, saddened.

"I had to sell many wolf pelts of the dead for money. Grandfather's and Mother's are the only ones I have left now. I'm staying in a small apartment, but they've passed a new rule for pets, and now... well, the only few wolves that are left have no where to go, and I won't abandon them!" Tears prickled Ayame's eyes as she spoke. For the last few years, she had been staying in an apartment with her two wolves, Oba and Iola. Now the manager seemed to had gotten annoyed with her, and had given Ayame two options. Either the dogs go, or all three of them did.

Kouga recognized the way that Ayame's eyes sparkled, and he could smell salt. With a groan, the ookami leader went against his better judgment and spoke up.

"You can... stay with Ginta and Hakkuka. For a little bit. And you'll be earning your keep by working here. As a secretary only! When the boys and I head out, you stay here, got that?" His tone was rough for good reason, but Ayame still smiled, and walked up to the dark haired youkai, careful to have a special swag to her hips.

"Got that, boss." She smirked, and pecked Kouga on the cheek, turning the fearless leader to a bumbling idiot in seven seconds flat.

"Right. Err, well... Go and see Shinju for your... um... timetable..." Ayame left the cluttered office with a broad smile, she didn't miss how Kouga's face had turned a bright red at the touch of her lips.

"The man's known only as Kumo. And he runs a strip-joint down by the Tokyo bay." Ayame turned tail and left Kouga's office.

**.jobs without respect.**

Kagura stared at herself in the cracked mirror before her. The dark bruise of that morning had finally disappeared completely, thanks to the care of Kanna. The emotionless girl seemed to know every trick in the book for hiding anything and everything possible, and for that, Kagura was thankful. With the abuse mark gone, the red eyed girl could focus completely on the night's makeup. For the rest of the night, she wouldn't be Kaze Kagura. She would be Kazane; a stage name she had given to herself to try to bring beauty to the ugliness of her life.

Ruby eyes under a small layer of pink eye shadow, and lips red as blood, Kazane mixed class with sex. Men loved her, and she knew it. The fact was hard to doubt when she had all types of men hooting and howling cat-calls to her when she had the stage. Really, she was her boss's best income, and more than once, he had said that there wouldn't even be a gentleman's club without her. It wasn't flattering, Kazane despised the work, but there really wasn't much that she could do about it.

The '_Hell Hole_' was a family-run business. A gentleman's club run by one man, dangerous and, in Kazane's opinion, completely insane. He never gave his name, most knowing him only as 'Kumo'. To the red eyed beauty, the business was nothing but a cesspool of whores, teases, and evil men who took pleasure in the most despicable acts. Kazane herself was a stripper, a tease. Remembered when she was little, she wanted to dance. To have people weep at her movement. Her boss took advantage of her dream, and now she danced for man's pleasure. It disgusted her, but she had no choice in the matter.

"Kagura. Yuri's client will be keeping her later than usual. You'll take her place tonight." A figure stood in the doorway, keeping in the shadows. Kazane turned to him, hating to be referred to her birth name while doing something so revolting. Defiantly, she stared into the man's eyes, as red as her own, refusing to show her shame at having her exposed chest being seen. Women who didn't acknowledge Kumo were put into submission, by force if needed.

"As you wish... Father." Kazane spat out the word like poison, and glared at the man who had both raised her and forced her into her own Hell. Kumo nodded solemnly, and left the red eyed beauty alone to dress for the night's show.

Kazane swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat, as she pulled her long hair up into a bun. On her ears, she wore childish earrings that had a white feather and a green bead dangle half-way down her neck. On the back of her chair hung her outfit for the night; a silk kimono that ended mid-thigh, and a yellow sash of rough, yellow fabric. The kimono had a pattern almost identical to her dress, white with diagonal, maroon stripes, though the kimono was far more decorative. Personally, Kazane was attached to the revolting article of clothing.

_'if only it was longer, an _actual_ kimono...'_ More than once, she had that thought running through her mind, followed by a sick feeling of deja vu. Letting out a frustrated breath of air, Kazane dressed quickly. Kumo was specific about her outfits. Always the same make up, the same hair, and always a kimono. Kumo insisted that her outfit was a part of her 'theme'. Whatever that ment, Kazane wasn't sure, but she didn't care to find out. She would wear the 'Kimono', if only to keep her from being beaten.

Kazane stood up, her legs shaking. Breath caught in her throat, she checked her hands, fearing the worst. They were steady, her fingers twitched every now and then, but that was natural. Shaking hands and legs were the key sign to her addiction. She didn't want those symptoms to show.

Above her head, a red light flashed and a buzzer rang. It was time to go.


	3. All in a Glance

Okay, seriously DARK chappie here. And a little bit gross too, so... BEWARE! this chapter is the REASON it's rated M

**.all in a glance.**

Sesshomaru was not happy. There were a number of reasons for this: the seat he was sitting on was cheap and uncomfortable; the room he was in was hot and filled with smoke clouds; the business associate he was with was a nuisance and a pervert; and he somehow found himself dragged into a gentleman's club for an important business meeting.

The large, dark room was lit by only several small, red lights, giving the club what Sesshomaru was supposed to be an erotic feel, but to him just seemed depressing. The lack of light made it hard to see the dull, worn faces of the girl's on stage, and even harder to see the several men jerking off under the tables.

The stench of cigarette smoke and sex assaulted the daiyoukai's senses, and Sesshomaru's nose twitched every few moments, showing his displeasure. But the man beside him was oblivious to his discomfort, as he continued to talk about some sort of proposal.

"I'm not saying that there's no strings attached, I mean, we don't live in a perfect world. But I _am_ saying that this could be a great opportunity for you. Think about it, you could retire easily, with nothing to worry about. My people will take great care of the company, Mr. Daiyoukai." Sesshomaru glared at the human before him. A scrawny man in a suit too big for him. He wanted to buy out the advertisement company the old dog demon had started nearly three-hundred years ago. Why he was wasting his time talking about a business deal that would never happen, in a room full of half naked women no less, the dog youkai had no idea.

"_Should have left when I realized where this meeting was to take place_" He thought bitterly to himself. Personally, Sesshomaru hadn't bothered to take a look around him. From his sense of scent alone, he could tell that the entertainment of the night would be crack-whores, human's too, for that matter.

That was why the mighty daiyoukai was shocked when he picked up an impossible scent. One that shouldn't have existed. Smooth music started, a soft beat with a powerful bass. On the large stage, red curtains parted to revel a young woman in a short, silk kimono. Her hair was held up high, in a tight bun, and feather earrings tickled her smooth, ivory neck. Ruby red orbs looked out from under black lashes, void of emotion.

Sesshomaru gripped his glass of ice water tightly, his knuckles turning the slightest bit white. The words of the kitsune flashed into his mind. _"A woman who was the spitting image of Kagura. And I don't know many people who carry the scent of miasma..."_ The woman's scent filled his nostrils, and the dog demon's eyes widened the slightest bit. The kitsune's words rang true. On the stage, the woman made her way to one of the many silver poles in the room. Her legs looked impossibly long in the red heels and short white and maroon kimono, and the glass in Sesshomaru's hand shattered.

"Right little beaut, am I right, Sessh?" the young businessman nudged the daiyoukai's side, but Sesshomaru paid him no attention despite his extreme displeasure of being called "Sessh". His eyes and mind were focused on the dark haired beauty on stage, not daring to believe either. She still moved in a way that reminded him of her element, the dog youkai noticed, but the reason she danced, now disturbed him. He knew that the past Kagura would hold herself with more dignity. As she danced, the club's volume rose, and the crowd became rowdy. The Kagura look-alike didn't spin around on the pole, she _flew._ The small kimono was only held together by a heavy, yellow sash, and as she danced, the kimono slipped from her shoulders, staying tied at her hips, and she was exposed.

While spinning, however, her features were obscured, and her dark, wavy hair fell out of it's bun, flowing down her back. Still, she continued to dance, her body exposed to those around her. Her breasts partially hidden by dark locks of hair and her hips covered, the wind witch double danced on the floor, her body becoming silhouetted due to a clever light show. The men of the club begged and drooled like dogs at her display, and Sesshomaru had to force a growl from escaping his throat.

His demon side was raging, fighting for control. It was the eyes. The multiple pairs of eyes on the look-alike that were driving him crazy.

**"Not theirs to see. She's _mine_."**

Sesshoamru's inner demon seethed and growled with rage, and the daiyoukai dug his talons into the wooden table. His actions were unseen by those around him, all eyes focused on the dark haired woman on stage. Muscles tense, and claws inch deep in solid cedar wood, Sesshomaru blocked out the noises and sounds of the club around him, as he fought to quiet the demon voice within.

**"Look at her!"**

The voice screamed inside him, and Sesshomaru's head shot up, his eyes locked onto the ruby orbs of the dancing demon before him. Her eyes flickered over to his, and the dog demon's control loosened it's hold on the the voice from within.

_"Stop, now. This Sesshomaru commands you."_

Sesshomaru snarled at himself, his old habits of speech returning to him. On stage, the Kagura double dropped down to all fours and crawled along the edge for the pleasure of the drunken perverts cheering her on, and Sesshomaru visibly flinched as his inner youkai screamed for control and freedom.

**"PROTECT HER!"**

The voice bellowed, and the daiyoukai could feel the red seeping into his eyes, and his talons, currently dug deeply into the cedar wood, felt wet and hot, a sickeningly familiar feeling that he had not experienced in two hundred years. Clenching golden eyes shut, Sesshomaru forced the voice into submission. It had gone too far, spewing bullshit about a woman who meant nothing to him.

Muscles relaxing, Sesshomaru ripped his claws out from the cedar table. Though the outside seemed unmarked except for several holes (from the youkai's talons, though any mortal would suspect knives stabbed into the wood due to boredom), deeper inside the wood was _melted_. The dog demon's power's had gone off unnoticed, and his poison talons had melted the inside of the table.

"Deal's off." Sesshomaru spoke clearly to the businessman beside him, never showing a sign of what he had just gone through, and the daiyoukai stood up. He had to get out of there. Ignoring the protests of the human businessman, Sesshomaru grabbed his briefcase, and turned to leave the club. The smoke was driving his nose crazy; the music was horrid and an annoyance to his ears; and the sight of the Kagura look-alike bothered and disturbed him. The kitsune was right, a duplicate of Kagura was running around Tokyo, and it seemed that she was a dancer. As for the matter of his suddenly restless inner demon, the dog demon had not a clue of how do deal with it.

Once outside of the dark and gloomy building, Sesshomaru pulled out his cellphone and called his personal driver off break. The daiyoukai had to get away from the noise, and scent of sex and lust. But most of all, he had to escape _her_. Reincarnation or not, her eyes unnerved him; it was like seeing her back from the dead.

_"You idiot, that's exactly what it is." _Sesshomaru scolded himself at his stupidity, and waited for his ride.

**.all in a dance.**

Kazane ignored the sick feeling in her gut as she spun around the pole, and the top of her kimono slipped down to her waist. It was what the men in the club came to see, and she was quick to free her hair from it's bun. Her wavy locks hid her chest, and her disfigurement from the public's eye as she danced for the worst reasons.

The crowd cheered her on, and she removed herself from the pole. The spotlight shut off, and she was silhouetted against a red light from backstage. It was then that Kazane could see the faces of the men watching her. Disgusting men, with the faces of dogs. Drooling, and barking at her. She fought back a sneer, and tried to look exotic and sensual. And to the men, she was. She was short, and her body was soft, not muscled like that of a professional dancer. Her hips were well rounded, and her chest was well off. Men drooled over her form, her body and her way of movement. To the other women of Kumo's, it was flattering to be noticed. But Kazane was sickened by it.

Her eyes swept across the room, and landed on a new face. Head down, silver hair flowed down his back, and cold, golden eyes made her heart flutter in her chest. She tried to take in every detail at once, her eyes drawn to the beautiful man who didn't seem to belong in the building of broken dreams. He didn't seem pleased to be in the gloomy building, and that fact alone made the red eyed demoness's spirits lighten.

Kazane looked away quickly, fearing that someone would see her staring at his face, but from the corner of her eye, she watched him. She noticed the shattered glass by his hands, and how his nails (claws?) were digging into the cedar table. He was a youkai, no doubt about it, no human could hold her attention like he did.

The stranger's head shot up, his eyes eyes of liquid gold pierced hers just as she had the misfortune to glance his way, and Kazane noticed how his hands tensed, and the table started smoking where his fingers were inserted. Kazane felt her heart beat wildly in her chest, and her fingers grew numb.

Remembering where she was, the wind user dropped down on all fours, and started crawling. It was a display that most men went crazy for, and always gave her a good tip. Around the edge, the men reached for her, and the closer ones managed to slip bills on her. At the waist of her kimono, and at her shoes mostly. Her eyes flicked back to the youkai, and she noticed him flinch, before he removed his claws from the table, and stood to leave. Quickly, Kazane sniffed the air, trying to sift through the stench of sex and cigarettes for the youkai's scent.

A wave of his scent hit her, and she recognized dog demon. The black haired woman jumped up so that she was standing on her knees in shock and felt her heart thump painfully in her chest as a sense of deja vu clouded her mind. Images of a white feather and a broadsword rushed through her head, and what little control over her element that she posessed tripled, as a gust of wind ran around the room, blowing her hair, and completly exposing her chest to the small world of sex around her.

_"Who is he?"_

She watched him as he exited the dark building, shoulder's tensed, face grim. Once he was out of sight, Kazane reluctantly continued her dance. Eyes straying to the back of the room, she caught the stare of Kumo.

He watched her dance, his red eyes, so alike to hers, were gleaming in the dark. Moments later, her song ended, it was time to get off the stage. standing up, Kazane retreated back, behind the red, gauzey curtain.

backstage, the other girls belonging to Kumo were getting ready, all in various stages of undress. Suddenly, Kazane caught a glimps of silver hair, and her heart pounded painfully once more. Swallowing saliva, trying to wet her dry throat, the wind witch's pace quickened, the image of the unknown inu youkai in her mind.

Turning a corner, Kazane's mind fell blank in an instant. It wasn't the beautiful man from the before who she had saw. Standing before her was Kanna.

Her lithe frame was robed in a flowing dress so thin, it was nearly see through. Kagura (for she was Kagura once more, now that she was in the presence of her sister) could see the older woman's barely showing ribs; her small breasts, and pale silver nipples hardened from the cold; and the patch of dark hair sprouting from between her legs from under the flowing, gossamer fabric. Kanna looked like a ghost, and her eyes were dark and emotionless, as she readied herself for her turn on stage.

"Kagura. Father wishes to speak to you." Kanna murmured, as always, she referred Kumo has his family title. Without a word, or waiting for Kagura's answer, the small, pale woman made her way to the stage. Kagura watched her leave, a sense of dread wallowed deep in her chest. A talk with Kumo was never good, and almost always ended with blood.

Supressing a shudder, Kagura walked to her father's office, not bothering to change from her stage clothing. The silk kimono was heavy on her shoulders and around her waist, but she hardly felt is as she headed to what she was sure was her doom. The wooden door to Kumo's office swung open, and the dark haired man was waiting for her.

"Come in. Close the door" He growled at her, and she complied silently. as the door clicked shut, a hand grabbed Kagura from around her waist, and she found herself pressed up against Kumo, her face agaisnt his collar bone. Kagura sneered in disgust. The nights profits must have done worse than usual, and she was getting punished for it.

Large and slender hands worked on the heavy yellow sash of Kagura's sash, and Kumo smirked, his red eyes gleaming as Kagura snarled and fought agaisnt his movements. She squirmed, and tried to turn away, but he pulled her back by her dress. She tried to use her hands to remove his from her body, and he slapped her.

Kagura's head snapped to the left, a small fleck of blood at the corner of her lip, and it was all Kumo needed to lose control. The yellow piece of cloth fell to the ground, and Kagura was left exposed to the monster before her. Left arm still around her waist, Kumo's right hand plunged between her legs. Kagura cried out in anger and anguish, and Kumo crashed his mouth against hers. His tongue forceing entry into her mouth, stiffling her sobs as his right hand roughly podded and rubbed her slit. She was dry, but he kept working on her, determined to get her worked up. He succeeded.

it was wrong, she knew it. But he never seemed to care as his hand rubbed and played. She shivered as his fingers pinched and massaged her clit, and rolling waves of pleasure were sent through her body. It made her sick, but she refused to cry at her treatment.

"You're a whore, kagura. You dance for money, and you make me want to punish you for it." he growled into her ear, and she could feel the buldge between his legs press aginst her stomach. his hand moved from behind her waist, to around her throat, andthe fingers at her cunt stopped massaging, and intered her.

It was wrong. It felt good. It was disgusting. It was a thrill. She wanted it to stop. She wanted him to finish. Her inner conflict raged on, but in the end, disgust was the victor. With a cry of revolvtion, kagura tried to push away the hands that pinched and prodded and bruised.

Kumo slapped her again. His anger was increasing and she knew it, but it needed to stop.

"Let me alone!" She screeched at him, and Kagura tried to kick him away. Kumo sneered. The slapping ended. Now the man punched the wind witch, his fist colliding with her stomach, forcing her to double in order. The air flew from her lungs and she couldnt breathe. He punched her again, this time in her jaw, and she went sprawling to the floor.

"Get up." Kumo ordered, and Kagura's arms trembled as she tried to pick herself up from the carpeted floor.

"Get UP!" Kumo shouted, and rammed a booted foot into her rib. kagura screamed with pain, and Kumo smirked at her. Knealing down beside her, Kumo grabbed a handful of the wind witch's hair, still up in a bun. Rolling over to her back, Kumo's hand once again ravaged her womanhood. This time, she was wet and hot, and he groaned in satisfaction.

"Do you like what I do to you?"

"NO!" Kagura screamed despite the sore rib. Kumo responded by continuing his assault on her. Fighting it was useless, as she now knew. Kagura bit on the back of her hand to stiffile her sobs as her boss finished with her.

He finished with a grunt, and ripped his fingers from her. Kagura barely felt it. her eyes were glazed over, and the back of her hand was bleeding from biting down too hard. The only thing she could feel was the splatter of white fluid left over from the night's activities, Kumo's seed pooled on the the ground and dripping off of the outside of her thigh. He never fucked her. He only ever touched.

Kagura remained on the ground, her stage kimono spread far open, reveiling her to the world. Not that anyone could see her while she was in her father's office. Kumo stood up, completely ignorant of the broken young woman on the ground as he wiped his hands on a square cloth from his desk. Only when his hands were spotless, did he turn to Kagura. Again, he kicked her side, and the rd eyed woman grunted with pain, eyes shut tight, and lips pulled into a snarl.

"You forget your place, Kagura. Never fight me again. This leason must be taught." As he spoke, the door to his office opened, and three men walked in. They were stocky, burly men, their faces shadowed, and Kagura felt intense fear course through her wrecked body.

_"Kami please... I'm already bruised, beaten, and humiliated. Please don't let these men continue this hell" _Kagura thought to herself. Her eyes, no light visible in them, stared at the three men without emotion.

"Take her to the back alley. When she starts coughing up blood, you can stop."

**.all in a dream.**

Sesshomaru sat in the back seat of his white limo, his fore finger and thumb pressing into his temples as he fought to drive away the headache that appeared in wake of his inner demon's defeat. It had been over two-hundred years since he had lost control.

"Where to, Mr. Daiyoukai, sir?" His driver asked from the front seat via intercom, and Sesshomaru was quick to answer.

"To my office. And tell my secretary that I do not wish to be disturbed." The dog demon bit back a snarl, and tried to will the pounding headache away. He was shaken by the sudden appearance of the wind user look-alike, but that was no reason to stray away from work. He was a busy man, even more so now that he had declined the offer made by the man who had taken him to the gentlemen's club. He was going to sell the company, but he changed his mind.

The driver nodded, and turned his attention back to the road. At ten o'clock at night, the streets of Tokyo were crowded and distracting, with neon lighting everywhere. Sesshomaru was grateful for the tinted windows, which gave him privacy and darkness. Stong lighting would not help his current condition.

The ride to the company's building was short, and endured in silence as Sesshomaru's head throbbed, but his transportation was comfortable. In his hand, Sesshomaru held a class of scotch from his minibar. The daiyoukai never had to worry about liquor stains, his driver was a good one. Before he knew it, the dog youkai was in his office, with the lights off. He was alone, with no recollection of leaving the limo.

The pounding in his head worsened, ad the daiyoukai grabbed onto his desk for support, trying to stop himself from falling to the floor. His legs were shaking, and his sight was blurring around the edges. Without thinking, he removed his business jacket, hand still on his desk to keep him standing.

_"I only need some rest..." _Sesshomaru mumbled to himself, and he glanced at the large, leather couch in his office. He didn't notice the papers, the lamp, and his name plate which he swept to the floor on his way to the couch. He didn't realize that he had removed his tie, and that his shirt was unbuttoned enough to show the top of his chest. He only remembered his body hitting the leather peice of furniture, and then darkness.

_It was the night his father had died. It was the last time the young Sesshomaru had seen him aline. The moon shone on the beach, lighting the world in a silver glow; waves crashed onto the sand, a strangely deafening sound; and the stentch of the ocean mingled with that of fresh blood. _

_His father stood on a sand dune, staring at the moon, his back to his son, not yet knowing if he will be an eldest or only. The two dog demons stay silent in the wind. Sesshomaru could see the contsant drip drip drip of his father's blood hitting the sand. A small puddle was forming, the blood looking black in the moonlight. The scent of it mingling with that of the ocean around them._

Father was hurt. He was dying.

_"Sesshomaru, my son." InuTaisho spoke, his voice gruff, but filled with emotion. It unnerved Sesshomaru. He could hear the love in his father's voice. Sesshomaru had never heard it in his father's voive before, not even with his mother._

_Still, InuTaisho remained with his back turned to his son. He would not look at Sesshomaru, even before his death._

It is a memory, nothing more.

_It was then that the memory changed. Sesshomaru was older, and no longer in his armor of the feudal era, but in his business suit. His father had disappeared as well, but the blood remained. In his place, stood the wind witch from the past. From_ his _past. Blood ran down her body, and pooled at her bare feet. __She stood in a kimono, drenched in blood, and ripped at the chest, like she had a wound at her heart. _

Kagura was heartless.

_Sesshomaru made a move to step towards the injured woman, and the wind rushed up, pushing him away from her. His hair and clothing danced and flew in the wild wind, but Kagura showed no movement. Sesshomaru tried to call her, but the wind silence him. Like most dreams, his had stolen his voice._

_The Inu youkai made another attempt to reach the wind user, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning around, Sesshomaru saw his father. It was InuTaisho who held him still. __His father's face, scarred and worn, stared at Sesshomaru coldly, and the winds roared louder._

_"Sesshomaru. Do you have someone to..." InuTaisho's voice was strong, and loud over the rushing winds. As he spoke, movement caught Sesshomaru's attention, and he turned to see Kagura beside him. The blood was gone, and so was her kimono. She had turned to the woman from the gentlemens club, wearing a summer dress which looked much like the kimono Kagura had worn five hundred years before._

_"...Protect?" The kagura look-alike finished his father's sentance, and her red eyes fluttered shut as she rose up to kiss him._


	4. Ever So Predictable

**Ever So Predictable**

**.the first surprise.**

Sesshomaru awoke to find himself on his office floor. The lights were still out, and the world outside his office windows was still black. The night had not ended, but his headache had. Pushing himself up to his knees and elbows, Sesshoamru groaned. The dream he had, had been vivid. He could have sworn he felt the wind witch's lips against his. The daiyoukai scoffed at the thought and tried to stand.

His legs attempted to tremble under his weight, but Sesshomaru snarled and they stood strong. He ran a hand through his hair, disturbed to find that his head and body was drenched in cold sweat. He took a step forward, and his toe hit something in the dark, kicking it away from him. Sesshomaru looked down in confusion, his sight well despite the dark. Several inches from his foot lay Tenseiga. Sesshomaru stared at the sword he had abandoned nearly five hundred years ago in puzzlement. He had kept both his swords: Tenseiga and Bakusaiga **(1)**. The two swords of his past were mounted on his wall, now merely a decoration of his office. It would have been impossible for either to fall, so how did Tenseiga get on the floor?

Sesshomaru found his thoughts bringing him back to the battle that had been Tokijin's last. The battle against Mouyumaru. His enemy's armor had destroyed the Oni sword.

_"You don't really have compassion for Kagura do you..." _The voice of Mouyumaru ran though his mind, and Sesshomaru felt the room spin for a moment before settling once more.

"Ridiculous." Sesshomaru muttered to himself. He noticed that it was exactly how he had responded when Mouyumaru had proposed the question during their battle. It bothered him that his mind was bringing up memories of his past that concerned Kagura, but he told himself that it was only because the kitsune had brought her up.

_"Dont' forget the woman at the gentleman's club." _The voice inside his head whispered, and the dog demon sneered.

Releasing a sigh, Sesshomaru bent down to grab the ancient sword. His fingers wrapped around the scabbard and the moment he picked up Tenseiga he almost dropped it. The sword had a pulse. The daiyoukai stared down at the old sword in puzzlement. The years had been hard on both swords, Tenseiga and Bakusaiga. Their blades had dulled, and their shafts had turned brown and worn. But, as he observed Tenseiga, he noticed that he blade's edge was sharper, and the the shaft was less worn than he remembered. The sword's pulse was continuous under his fingers, weak, but he knew that it would grow stronger.

"So you believe that you are needed once more." Sesshomaru concluded, and set the once dormant sword on his desk. The sword had called out to him, that much was obvious when he had accidentally kicked it on the floor. But what was calling Tenseiga so, that it would awaken from a nearly three-hundred year sleep? With a growl low in his throat, Sesshomaru thought of the dancer in the pub earlier that night. Her strange likeness to Kagura; her red eyes boring into his gold; and her movement like the wind itself. Sesshomaru thought once more of the strange dream he had.

"I must be out of my mind." He muttered himself as he grabbed a heavy leather jacket from the coat hook by the office door and walked out. The daiyoukai gave one last look at the ancient sword on his desk before he slammed his office door shut.

The sun was only just rising as Sesshomaru drove around downtown Tokyo, the early morning light reflecting off of the rundown buildings. The daiyoukai's lips were drawn into a thin line as he thought about the absurdity of his actions. He had no plan, and he didn't know what he was going to do when, or even if, he found the Kagura look alike. The dog demon played with the idea of shaking the woman, and demanding to know if she was the reincarnation of an evil wind witch, but he doubted that the encounter would go over well.

Without a word, Sesshomaru drove towards his destination, _The Hell Hole_. It was the gentleman's club he had visited the night before, and it was the only place he could think of to start looking for the dancer, Kazane. He highly doubted that she would still be there, but it was a better plan than nothing.

Sesshomaru drove his black mustang into the parking lot of an old gas station. It was a block away from the strip club, he could walk. Stepping out of his car, Sesshomaru locked up, and headed towards the _Hell Hole_. The wealthy man was determined to find the woman from the stage. With a low sigh, Sesshomaru headed towards the strip joint, prepared for disappointment.

The inu youkai was near the entrance of the gentleman's club when he heard a scream from the back alley. Sesshomaru's head snapped to the direction of the scream, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was sure he had heard a woman. Without thinking, the silver haired man entered the dark alley. his heels clicked along the paved ground, avoiding black, grimy puddles and walking past rat infested garbage cans. The woman didn't scream again, but his hearing was keen enough to hear faint whimpering, and the dull thud of booted feet ramming into something soft. Sesshomaru's pace quickened. The dog demon turned a corner, and stepped into a sickening scene.

Three men, all muscled and grim faced, were huddled against a small figure on the ground. It was the figure that was whimpering as the men around her kicked into her body. Under the woman, a puddle of blood was caught Sesshomaru's attention, however, was the weak gust of air, forming a tornado around the four beings. The dog demon had no doubt in his mind that the Kagura look-alike was the figure at the mercy of kicking boots.

His chest felt as though it nearly exploded as Sesshomaru's inner demon awoke once more. Thrashing and gnawing, it fought against the chains of control, begging to be released. Sesshomaru felt his knees weaken as voices rumbled inside his head. Each trying to be heard above the other. The men before him never noticed as he grasped his head in pain and surprise.

_"-**Not theirs to hu-**"_

**"Sesshomaru my son-"**

_"-No one is equal in streng-"_

**"Do you have someone to-"**

**_"PROTECT-"_**

_"You can defe-"_

**_"Listen to me and PRO-"_**

**"You seek to become more-"**

_"-powerful. Surely you could-"_

**_"PROTECT HER!"_**

Sessomaru didn't speak as he walked up to the three men. He was nearly seeing red, but the demon inside didn't strive for control. They never noticed him, but the girl on the ground did. Her eyes looked up at him from under her arms, trying to protect her head. Ruby orbs, filled with tears, silently pleaded for her life as hard boots rammed into her sides and limbs.

_"Please..."_ Sesshomaru's ears picked up her voice, and it was then that the men noticed him. The dog demon was taller than all three of them, a whole head taller, but they remained undaunted as they stopped attacking the woman from the club, and turned their attention to him.

"What you lookin' at, Pretty Boy?" The shortest of the men sneered, and pulled out a switchblade, meaning trouble. The other two men followed his lead, and Sesshomaru looked on, unimpressed.

"Pathetic." He muttered, and before the three men could catch what he said, his fingernails turned to neon green claws, and a whip of matching light cracked. The men made no sound as their bodies melted where the poison talons had sliced the men in either half or thirds, their faces expressing their horror (except for the first man. His face was sliced in two). Still not saying a word, Sesshomaru strolled towards the girl, careful not to step in the gooey mess that was what was left of the three men. He could tell that the young woman was quickly loosing consciousness, probably due to blood loss.

He never thought twice as he lifted the girl up to carry her in his arms, bridal style. She was light in his arms and it concerned him. As Sesshomaru glanced down to look at the now unconscious girl, his lips thinned into a line in his anger. She was far younger that he had initially thought. Instead of twenty as he assumed, the girl couldn't have been older than fifteen. The dog demon thought of the wind witch, Kagura. The girl in his arms was younger than she had been.

With a growl deep in his throat, Sesshomaru carried the small girl to his car. It was a struggle opening the car door while making sure that the petite woman did not fall, but he managed, and placed the Kagura look-alike in the passenger seat. After making sure that she was buckled in so that she wouldn't move around too much and upset any injuries inflicted upon her, Sesshomaru entered his side of the car, and drove off. He wasn't sure of what he was doing, but he did have an idea where he would take her.

The Tokyo hospitals, though effective in their medicine, were often easily bought out, their patients (mostly those of gang wars) were unprotected, and were prone to disappearing. The doctors themselves, though highly trained, were constantly pulling the plugs on any enemy of a large mob boss who contributed to their wallets. The nurses were just plain mean.

_"I'm not going to save you're life, only to have you kidnapped and murdered tomorrow." _Sesshomaru grumbled to himself, glancing away from the road momentarily to observe the unconscious woman. Bruises were starting to appear on her face and arms, and Sesshomaru noticed (with a groan of disgust) that her blood was starting to stain the leather interior of the car.

No, the hospital would do no good. Ignoring the logical part of his mind, the part that had fought against his inner demon only hours before, the part that was _screaming_ at him not to do anything impulsive, Sesshomaru sped along the deserted streets of Tokyo, his ears perked for any sign of life from the young woman beside him. The dog demon was taking her home.

**.a short surprise.**

Kouga and his men stormed up to the run down building, their task, and their success on their minds. Ayame had mentioned a strip joint near Tokyo Bay, and though there were nearly hundreds, Kouga had a hunch on where to go. His hunches were almost always spot on. From searching (and hacking into) the police files, Kouga had found Kumo, and the record was strange.

Though file was one of the largest the wolf demon had seen, the amount of actual information about the man was little. There wasn't even a first name, and the name given was obviously an alias. No age, no description. There was only an address (the name of a building, no number) and a note.

_Very dangerous. Do not confront without backup. Kill on sight._

The man's record, however, was huge. Fifty three accounts of possession; twenty two of armed robbery; sixty three of trafficking; and the all time winner, a hundred and thirteen of murder, first and second. Kouga had stared at the file for nearly an hour, not believing his eyes. He never believed someone so evil could exist! Then, with a shudder, he remembered the horror of his past. Naraku. The slimy SOB who had ordered his 'daughter' to murder his entire pack.

The prince of the Ookami clan smirked, a dangerous glint in his eye. He had gotten his revenge. The monster that had been Naraku had been hacked into pieces, and then sent to Hell itself. His revolting female offspring had either committed suicide, or had been killed by his own hand. Naraku was gone, but now it seemed that a new horror had arisen.

So the ookami pack had found themselves at the door of the _Hell Hole_, teeth bared, and claws ready to sink into flesh. No matter if an enemy was human or demon, the wolf tribe was feared. They were strong, and Kouga had made sure that his family hadn't lost a fight in four hundred years. Professional as always while doing his job, Kouga knocked on the front door. It was nearly noon, someone would be up, even if it was only a maid.

Only moments passed until the large, steel door opened, and a young girl, appearing to be no older than ten, answered.

"What do you want?" Her voice was soft, and emotionless, and Kouga looked her over. She was so pale, she seemed blue, but her eyes were black. With a sneer of disgust, he noticed that the gossamer dress she wore was translucent. He could see every inch of her naked body behind a smoky, white veil. She was too young to be dressed like that.

"Kumo. Where is he?" Kouga growled, uneasy by the lack of expression in the girl's eyes. She looked as though she had been expecting the ookami tribe to appear at the front door of her work place (and most likely her home as well).

"You won't find him here today I'm afraid, Kouga. He knew of your coming and left." Her voice was light, and Kouga wondered if he had heard it at all. He almost didn't notice that she had called him by his name.

"Wha-wait. How did you know my name?" Kouga asked, confused. Behind him, his men watched on in puzzlement. The young girl was familiar to Kouga, and Ginta and Hakkuka. The white hair and black eyes jolted a forgotten memory that just didn't have enough will to come back to them. As though the little girl could see their thoughts, she began to close the door.

"Do not try your luck at barging in. I'm afraid I must warn against it. There are booby-traps, and I don't believe that you wolves can survive machine guns." Emotionless as ever, the girl slammed the door shut after having her say. The Ookami pack stared in shocked silence, none of them really understanding what had just happened. The confrontation had been quick and brief, and they were being forced to return empty-handed. The girl was right, they wouldn't survive a a round from a machine gun, if there even was one.

"So... what now?" Ginta asked, unsure. Kouga ignored him as he thought. Not of how to get into the building, he knew that would be useless, but he thought about the girl. He had seen her before. He had _fought_ her before. Mirrors. He remembered mirrors...

Suddenly, it dawned upon him. Kanna. The girl was Kanna, one of the detachments of Narakau. The soul taker with no scent.

"Did any of you notice a scent upon that girl?" Kouga growled at the fifteen men who had accompanied him. He could see them think back, some were even sniffing the air around them. He already knew there answer. There was no scent, because Kanna carried no scent, or any kind of demonic aura for that matter. She was a demon of nothingness, and was made of exactly that. Naraku used her to steal souls in a mirror. The emotionless bitch used her mirror to spy for Naraku, and even tell the future, so he'd heard.

"She was Kanna." Kouga growled at Ginta and Hakkuka, the only beings of his pack who would understand the dangers of what was happening. While Hakkuka and Ginta looked scared and awed, the rest of the boys only seemed confused. But they knew better to ask questions.

"Boss... Kanna committed suicide." Ginta informed Kouga slowly. They were not there to witness the death of the mirror demoness, but they were told that it had happened. Naraku forced the white child into shattering her mirror, resulting in her death. It was both sad, and cowardly of Naraku.

"We can't be so sure! That woman, that _girl_! No scent, that same emotionless mask, and think about it. She _looked_ like Kanna!" The wolf demon's looked at their leader uneasily, as though they weren't sure to believe him, as though they believed him to be crazy. Nobody spoke for a while.

"What does it mean, if Kanna's here?" Ginta asked, timidly.

"It means that Naraku's back too. We didn't kill him."

**.a pleasant surprise.**

Kagura's entire body ached, her head pounded, and her mouth was dry. She faintly realized that she was conscious, but she didn't open her eyes. She knew what she would see; the dim lighting of her room (the one that she shared with several other girls); the torn curtain on her boarded windows; and perhaps Kanna, watching over her, waiting with some sort of food in liquid form. It was always in the morning after a night of bad income, after Kumo had taken what he wanted from his daughter.

The click of a wooden door closing nearly made Kagura jump in surprise, but she still didn't open her eyes.

_"There's one of the girls now, checking to see if I'm up yet."_ Kagura told herself with a groan. She was tired, and she knew that she would be sent to cleaning duty once someone realized that she was awake. She was too sore to be bending over tables with a filthy rag.

"You might as well open you're eyes _wench_, now that you're up." Kagura's eyes flashed open at the shock of hearing not the harsh, feminine voices of one of her roommates, but a shrill croak. She didn't recognize her surroundings, and as she bolted upright, despite the protests from her back and ribs, she noticed that she was one of the fanciest rooms she had ever seen. She found that she had been resting on a queen-sized, four poster bed with velvet red drapes, and that the room around her was decorated in colours of white, gold and red. She hadn't noticed the difference in her usual sleeping arrangements (most people would notice when you're thin futon was replaced with a mattress made from _memory-foam_) because her back was numbed, and her mind fuzzy. She recognized the sensation instantly. Someone had given her pain medication. Even through her medication-hazy mind, Kagura could see the obvious. Someone had taken her home with them. Probably after finding her unconscious on the street.

"Lord Sesshomaru would like to see you in the dinning room in _fifteen minutes!_" The croaking voice spoke again, and Kagura turned her attention to the disturber of her sleep. It was a little, old man, Kagura noticed without amusement. Correction. It was a _green_, little, old man. With bulging yellow eyes and a pointy mouth. Kagura sneered in disgust.

"_What_ are you?"

The little green man swelled up in indignation, making him look like a large toad about to let out a deep, low croak, and Kagura was torn between the urge to laugh, or put the thing out of it's misery.

"_I_ am Lord Sesshomaru's _faithful_ servant. And _far_ more important that you, damn wench!" The servant ranted and the young girl rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. You're a mutated toad with a superiority complex." Kagura smirked at her snide remark and pulled the heavy, red comforter away so that she could get out of bed. Standing up and stretching her hands above her head, it was then that she noticed what she was wearing.

When Kumo's men had taken her outside, she was wearing her stage dress (Kagura had no doubt that the silk kimono (if you could call it that) was blood stained and beyond rescue). Looking down, she saw that she wasn't wearing the offending article of clothing, but a pair of cotton pajama pants, and an over-sized t-shirt. Eyes narrowing, Kagura turned to to the toad, who was still rambling off about his social status.

"Who undressed me?" Kagura snarled, cutting the toad off mid sentence. With a sneer, the toad answered.

"Lord Sesshomaru would not have you in any bed of his while wearing that that blood soaked thing you called an outfit. He had you changed."

**POW**

Jaken found himself kicked out of the guest room like a human (well, demon) football. Even barefoot, the wind witch look-alike could pack a punch in her foot. The toad's screams had alarmed most of the house-hold staff, and as several maids, a butler, and three cooks poked their heads out of doorways to see what all the commotion was about, they witnessed something uncommon: a young girl who looked angry enough to boil water, use each and every one of them as lobsters, and shove them in, storming down the main hallway.

"Where is that perverted, pig headed, sick minded, twisted, son of a _bitch_!" The girl swore, and the house-hold help scurried away, afraid to be caught in the strange girl's line of fire. All but one maid got away clean. Kagura honed in on the poor girl, and snarled, barely able to get out a complete sentence.

"Dining room. Where is it?"

The new maid trembled as she pointed the way to where her employer was waiting for the deranged being before her. She couldn't believe her eyes. The terrifying being standing above her looked to be younger than _she _was.

"Thank you." The red eyed girl muttered her appreciation, and stormed in the direction the maid directed. She was livid.

Connecting the dining room to the main hallway were two large, oak double doors. Kagura threw both open at once as she entered the elegant room. It was decorated much like the room she had woken up in, though the reds were darker, and in the center wall, across from the main doors was a large fireplace that was burning merrily. Between the fireplace and the doors was a long, oak table, and seated there was a very familiar man.

Kagura instantly recognized the silver-haired man from the night before, and felt a growl rise up from her chest. She felt her youkai unleash in a small burst as a gust of wind rushed around the room, and succeeded in putting out the large, warm fire in the hearth. It was then that the man acknowledged her, and Kagura noticed the glass of wine in his hand.

"You should really control those outbursts of yours." He spoke with indifference, his voice hard and controlled. Kagura felt her heart beat wildly in confusion, but she fought the feeling down. She was angry, she wanted to stay that way.

"Just who in the seven _hells_ do you think you are?" Kagura swore again, and the golden eyed man stood up. Before he could answer, the girl continued.

"No wait. I really dont' give a fuck who you are, what gives you the right to change my cloths while I'm out of it?" Kagura inquired, crossing her arms.

"Well. Seeing as how I saved your life, brought you home, gave you medication, and a bed to sleep in, I believe that I have every right to make sure that my bedding isn't covered in blood only a few hours later." He gave his response in the same tone another person might use when commenting on the weather, and Kagura only caught on to what he had said moments later. Her brain clicked in the missing pieces to the puzzle, and she felt the fight evaporate from inside her. Kagura flopped down on an empty chair at the dining table

"_You_ brought me here." It was statement, not a question. Flashes of that morning ran through her head. She briefly remembered someone blindingly white, and then a flash of green. Was there screaming? Shaking her head, Kagura looked over at the man. In a white dress shirt and matching pants, he certainly _did_ look blinding.

"Indeed. And now that you're in my home, and under my hospitality, I believe that I'm entitled to a few questions." Kagura crossed her legs in the chair, feeling very self conscious in the clothing that wasn't hers. She was expecting a question on price, or at least to for him to know why he had found her near death in the middle of a back alley. She wouldn't even have been surprised if he asked her age, and what she was doing working in a place like _the Hell Hole_. But the question he _did_ ask caught her off guard. She would have never expected him to ask the question that he did.

"Does the name Kagura mean anything to you?"

* * *

**(1)** Sesshomaru's final sword after Tokijin breaks.

I know you all probably hate me, not updating sooner, but you've got to admit, this is a pretty good chappie!


	5. A Final Decision

I would just like to say, I have actually not seen/read the final act. So, that being said, I would like people to remember that this story is totally AU from Kagura's death, onwards. So, what I say happened in this story, HAPPENED IN THIS STORY (I do know of some key factors, (kanna's suicide, Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga and new arm, Naraku sent to hell)) so bare with me, and believe every word these characters say!

Now, ONWARD WITH KOUGA/AYAME MUSHINESS!

* * *

**A Final Decision**

**.a revealed identity.**

Kagura's ruby eyes narrowed dangerously in suspicion at the youkai's question. Her name was never known to anyone other than her family, and she was positive that none of them would reveal it to just anyone. Kanna never talked to anybody anyway, and Kumo didn't want his business associates to know that he employed his own daughters. The wind witch fought the impulse to tap her bare foot on the wooden floor. It showed weakness to those who knew to look for the sign, and something inside her told her that the man before her was looking for just that, weakness.

_"I heard wrong. He said _"Kazane"_ not_ "Kagura"_, I'm sure of it."_ Kagura muttered to herself, trying not to believe her ears. She didn't _want_ him to know her. The dog demon only looked at her with a cold patience that was running thin. The man was obviously used to getting an answer the instant a question was asked. Kagura found her chest fill with a hot anger that rivaled his cold almost painfully. She went by her own rules, not some stranger's.

_"He has no right to expect that from me!" _Kagura's inner voice seethed as she glanced into the silver haired man's eyes. She knew that she had no real reason to be angry, but the anger was good, the rage was familiar in her strange surroundings.

"What?" The wind witch snapped, and she thought she saw a twitch of the beautiful man's lips. She was annoying him, and she knew it. Kagura was very aware of the sick feeling of glee and satisfaction the fact gave her. It gave her encouragement. _"Let him be annoyed. I am too! I just woke up in this guy's house!"_

"The name Kagura. Does it hold some significance to you?" His tone was even, and his voice was like cold ice in rain, running smoothly from his lips without hitch, making goosebumps rise on the woman's flesh. So much for hearing wrong. Kagura snarled at her reaction to him, and asked her own question, teeth bared, back straight. She was just as dangerous and headstrong as he was, and she wanted him to know it.

"I have questions of my own, Buddy. Do I get them answered?" She sneered, her muscles tense, ready to either grab the bottle of wine between them (a very _expensive_ bottle, she noted), or run home like the hounds of Hell were on her heels. The wind witch held back a smirk that tried to appear at the thought of breaking the bottle over the man's head, staining his silver hair purple. But Kagura willed the thought away at once, she needed to concentrate.

"But of cour-" Sesshomaru started, his fingers holding the wine glass tensing, but Kagura didn't allow him to finish his sentence as her anger flared up uncontrollably.

"Then answer me _why_ I woke up in a strange bed, in strange pj's, and to a strange little _toad_ who felt the need to call me a _WENCH!_" Kagura roared and stood up quickly, causing the tall-backed chair she was formally sitting on to shoot back and fall backwards to the wooden floor with a loud clatter. A loud gush of wind blew past between the two demons, and Sesshomaru stared at the young woman thoughtfully. The daiyoukai barely moved as Kagura threw her minor tantrum, and spoke back as though nothing had happened.

"So you're the one who had assaulted Jaken."

"That's not the point!"

"It is if you're attacking my staff." Sesshomaru countered, leaving Kagura speechless. The man was infuriating, dancing around her question as to avoid answering it.

_"Like I'm doing to his."_ Kagura grumbled to herself. Her normally tight bun was now loose and unkept. Instead of where it should be, high at the back of her head, it was hanging low at her neck, tangled strands falling free. The wind witch moved to tuck a stray strand behind her ear, when she realized something dreadful.

_"If he changed me, that means he could have seen the scar."_ Her eyes focused on the golden orbs that watched her carefully. _"No way he missed it."_ Kagura cursed to herself, biting her lip. On her back, between her shoulder blades, was a horrible burn in the grotesque shape of a spider. She had for as long as she could remember, and the first time she had asked her father about it, he had struck her. She never asked again.

The scar was her disfigurement, and it the mark that physically bound her to Kumo. At first the wind user had believed that the scar had appeared due to some freak accident in her early childhood, but that was before she had seen Kanna' back. The two sisters were marked by the same burn, the spider shaped scar. It had been there on both of them since birth, and if Kanna was right, Kumo had one too.

"Are you the one who changed me?" Her eyes narrowed once more as she asked slowly, her voice full of suspicion. She wouldn't have been surprised if he did. As she thought of her situation, the wind witch bit into her lip, hard. Her fang impaled her bottom lip, and she felt the coppery taste of blood a it ebbed into her mouth little by little. She didn't like the taste of blood, unlike her father. Kagura shivered as she remembered the times Kumo had licked her blood from his fingers.

"No. I had my maids do that. They are very closed-lipped, so do not worry of knowledge of your staying here to leek out to the public." The wind witch nearly jumped in surprise as the dog demon spoke up. His tone was mocking, though it was hard to tell through the consistence of his voice. Kagura fought back a sneer as she looked at him. Sure he was beautiful, but his manners sucked.

"How did I get here?" Kagura spoke as she stepped back, and the back of her leg pressed against the chair she had accidentally pushed over. It was no longer on it's back, but standing up in it's former position. Apparently a servant had raised it up and moved it while the two demons were arguing. Kagura sat back down in the wooden chair.

"I believe that I have already asked you a question that needs an answer." His manner was final, and Kagura's posture deflated in defeat. She was hoping that she could avoid the question, or at least lie. But she knew instantly the idea popped into her mind that whoever the man was would see through any falsehood. A shiver ran through her body as visions of a man not made to cross flashed in her mind. A great lord with ancient armor, who would destroy any who dared to try to hide the truth from his eyes.

"I don't know of that name. I'm called Kazane." She admitted stiffly, daring the man to say anything about it, and not being able to explain to herself why she didn't want her name known to the golden eyed man. His stare put her on edge, and she avoided his gaze, deciding to glare holes into the floor.

Sesshomaru felt his pulse quicken as he succeeded in keeping his face stoic. It was as he suspected, she was a reincarnation. Same appearance was common, but her behavior was another thing. Reincarnations didn't share personalities, they were developed due to their surroundings. But this young woman was like a modern (and younger) Kagura. They were the same down to the suspicious red eyes, scathing attitude, and knotted hair.**(1)**

"Is that a problem?" The young woman spoke up with a sneer, but the dog demon saw through it. She was afraid, of him most likely. Sesshomaru ignored her fear, and her comment.

"You'll stay here for the night to recover. My servants will tend to your needs, and I have sent Yuri out shopping for clothes. It will be improper for you to go around my home in either your sleep-wear or that stage outfit." Sesshomaru ordered, not taking no for an answer. The girl called Kazane huffed, but didn't argue with him. She only crossed her arms over her chest, and glowered. The over sized clothing she wore made her seem even smaller than she already was, and Sesshomaru smirked. She was the farthest thing from intimidating, and that was how he liked her to be.

"What am I to you? Some sort of charity case?" She sneered, and Sesshomaru, tired of seeing it as often as he had in the last half hour, wanted nothing more than to rip it from her lips. He was accustomed to be treated with respect. The young woman before him was bringing him back to old times, his run-ins with the wind witch.

"You're injured and it would be irresponsible for me to allow you to leave in such a condition. This Sesshomaru does not bring charity cases into his home." He stated simply, his old speech habits returning due to his annoyance, and the black haired woman kept her mouth shut as though in thought. Sesshomaru waited in silence to see what she would say next. What she did say surprised him.

"So _you're_ this Lord Sesshomaru guy." She let out a long sigh before she spoke as though she was trying to start a civil looked at Sesshomaru with minor interest, her anger not completely gone, but covered over. It was a remarkable change.

"_Hai_. I am he."

"Then act like a lord, and leave the strippers in the gutter." She snarled, her anger reappearing with a flash. She didn't wait for him to answer as she stood up.

"If it's alright with you, I'm going to stay in that bedroom I woke up in. I don't want to answer any more questions, and I don't want to be bothered." She spoke softly, but her eyes were hard. As Kazane turned to leave, Sesshomaru spoke up once more.

"You will join me for dinner tonight." Kazane bit her lip at his commanding tone, but decided to let his lack of manners pass as she responded.

"Fine." She nearly barked at him, and silently stormed barefoot out of the elaborately decorated dining room. Another gust of wind signaled her leaving, making Sesshomaru's hair fly out behind him. The dog demon suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at her immaturity.

Sesshomaru watched her leave with curiosity. She was hiding something.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Jaken's voice chased away his thoughts, and the dog demon turned to the small imp who had entered the dining room by way of the servant's quarters. No doubt trying to avoid another run in with the wind witch.

"Did you find anything out about the woman, Lord Sesshomaru? Is she the reincarnation of the wind wench?" Jaken asked honestly, interested as ever in his master's workings. Sesshomaru ignored him, as was usual.

_"I'm not sure what I found. The more I see, and talk to her, the more I believe that she is the real thing, back from the dead_." Sesshomaru thought to himself, his mind disturbed. He would have to talk to the maids who had dressed her, and see if they found anything interesting.

"Tell Kimi and Yoko to come into my study at noon. Be sure to inform them that if the give me the information that I'm looking for, they'll get a raise."

**.a short interlude.**

Kumo glared out the grimy window of his office, and snarled at the silver haired youkai down below, in the street outside. Lord Sesshomaru was fucking with his plans, and he didn't even know it. The black haired man suppressed the urge to roar in rage as he swatted the dark curtains away when he turned from the window. He didn't need to witness what was happening to know what the outcome would be. As he stormed towards his desk, he heard the faint screams that were his henchmen. Kumo had no doubt that they were dead.

"That fucking bastard." The red eyed man poured himself a large glass of the scotch that was waiting for him on his desk, and drank deeply. He wasn't impressed.

He knew from the moment that the dog youkai had entered his establishment that there would be trouble, and so he was sure to deal with it early. He had sent Kagura to be beaten so that she would have the lesson etched deep in her mind from the start. He didn't want her mind on Sesshomaru.

With a growl, Kumo poured himself more of the amber liquor. It had taken him many years to become what he was. Many gruesome, painful years. The black haired man smirked darkly as he remembered the man he was formally known as. Naraku had been dead for nearly five-hundred years. Now it was Kumo's time. Times had definitely changed since Feudal Era Japan, but Kumo found that this era was elegant, and grotesquely charming in it's darkness. Murder, drugs, and prostitution were on every street corner, and he was king of it all. _The Hell Hole _was filled with it. His prostitutes worked the stage, his drugs circled the audience, and murder was a weekend treat.

Kumo smiled, anger clear in his eyes as he thought of Kagura. Half a century ago, he had returned her heart to it's owner before impaling her chest. She only had enough time to get away before she died at the feet of the _great_ Sesshomaru. But it wasn't death who had claimed her, it was Naraku. He had set her free, only to reabsorbed her body the moment it gave out on her.

Kumo grinned with an evil glint in his eyes. He remembered clearly how, even bodiless, the wind witch fought against her imprisonment inside him. The wind at her call had destroyed his castle, forcing him to relocate, and for months afterwards she fought against his body, forming scratches and deep gashes in the night. He had absorbed her, and stored her for later. Soon after, he had absorbed the wind witch's sister, Kanna, after having her commit suicide.

It was a needed precaution. For his plan to work, he couldn't have Kanna killed and then sent to the after-world. It would have ruined everything he had fought to achieve.

"I didn't wait five hundred, fucking years to have the whole thing blown by this bastard." Kumo snarled as the glass of liquor smashed to pieces in his hand.

**.overreactions (part 1).**

Kouga paced back and forth in his office, too busy to notice to remarkable changes Ayame had managed. The red head had cleaned and organized the entire room, top to bottom. The endless piles of flyers and other types of paperwork was sorted and filed into separate binders in his desk; the large boxes that had previously covered his leather couch were gone, and replaced with organized filing cabinets (labels and specifics on each drawer); and the windows, floor, desks, and even the walls had been washed, dusted, waxed, swept and mopped accordingly.

"Damn you, Naraku." A growl erupted from deep within the ookami youkai's chest, and Kouga thought of what it really meant, if Naraku was back.

"He's back, and he's running a drug ring. Perfect." Kouga smirked at the thought, his actions making him doubt his own sanity. It seemed that history was repeating itself, placing the evil that was Naraku in a state of power. This Kumo had most of the underground in his pocket, by threat, power, and money alone. He was a dangerous man.

The wold demon stopped his pacing, and looked down at his desk, at the police file of Kumo. Thievery, possession, and murder. Curious, Kouga dug deeper into the report until he found the court dates. Scrolling down, he read one or two of the dates per year, going further and further back in time.

"May 5th, 1997; February 10th, 1995; August 27th, 1994." Kouga murmured, reading an entire page, before he stopped to examine the papers on the court dates. They were at the very end of the police file, but there was a thick stack of pages, thirty or forty at least. The wolf demon furrowed his brow in confusion. From what it looked like, either Kumo had a court date nearly every day of the year for the past fifteen years, or he had been around for at least... two hundred years.

Heart racing, Kouga flipped the large file to the end pages, and scrolled down, his confusion and horror growing with every date he read.

"December, 1909; September, 1894; June, 1807; March, _1764_!" Kouga bellowed out the last date in shock. Two-hundred and thirty years, all with the same, single name. _Kumo._ It was impossible.

"No fucking way." Kouga cursed and snarled, sweeping the papers from the police file from his desk to the ground, his name plaque and the lamp going down with them. He didn't care. Breathing heavily, the wolf demon lowered himself onto his couch, his head in his hands.

"Impossible._ How_ can he be back? We killed him." The black haired youkai muttered, not wanting to believe what he had discovered. He had seen Naraku's body be hacked to pieces by Inuyasha, and then sent to Hell itself by the Mutt's brother. Then, the Shikon no Tama had been destroyed.

"Not destroyed, wished away." Kouga corrected himself. "_Wished away._" Kagome, the miko from the future had wished the small gem away, forever. His mind racing, Kouga found comfort in that thought. With the Shikon no Tama gone, Naraku's actions in search of the jewel would be in vain. What was more, he would be powerless, nothing more than a hanyou, made up from broken and rotting parts. That was all he was, really. Mismatched parts of other demons.

Kouga felt himself shudder involuntarily at the memory of the changing Naraku. It was unnatural.

"Doesn't matter. He's not _that_ anymore. Kagome got rid of-" It was then that Kouga's sentence trailed off. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and Kouga stood up so suddenly, it gave his already reeling mind a head rush.

"Kagome!" The wolf demon exclaimed suddenly, fear in his heart. Without time to think, the leader of the Ookami pack bolted out the door, his speed lacking from when he had the Shikon shards, but still faster than the average mortal (or wolf youkai)

**.overreactions (part 2).**

Ayame walked down the street, high heels clicking. Her arms were loaded with shopping bags, filled with office supplies, decorations, and two or three personal outfits. The wolf heiress had gone shopping. Half of her winnings were for Kouga's office. Paper, new blinds (his current ones were torn and days away from just collapsing in a heap of plastic bits), and a wolf pelt from home.

The red head blushed at herself as she remembered the last five hundred, and how she had saved something very important for when Kouga had finally accepted her as his wife. She had his mother's pelt.

It was ookami tradition for wolves to keep the pelts of the adult figures in their lives. Males normally kept the mother figure (either actual birth mother, or an aunt or nursemaid) while the women owned their father figures. Ayame herself had her grandfather's snow white pelt. The old wolf had died only three years after Kouga had openly rejected his promised mate for the human girl, and Ayame had remembered how she had cried. Three years is an impossibly small amount of time for wolf demons.

Kouga wasn't in possession of his mother's pelt for a very simple reason. No one had ever found it. The great she-wolf, Chikyu Haha** (2)**, was a strong leader and mother. She had only mothered one pup, and that was Kouga. Many years before her son had turned to a man (so to speak), she had gone off to attack the main rivals of their mountain. Long before the Birds of Paradise had taken to the mountain, there were two sibling youkai. Brother and sister, they were kuma youkai, bear demons.

The elders had said that the battle lasted an entire week before Chikyu Haha had killed the brother bear. It was said that in her rage and despair, the sister bear had killed herself her attempt to finish off the she-wolf. The bear's bodies were found, broken, mutilated and torn from their ordeal with Chikyu Haha, but Kouga's mother's body was never found. The elders said that the only sign of her was a long, dark trail of demon blood, leading away from the battle, and down into a great chasm in the mountain. It was said that she, weak and nearly blinded from battle, had fell. How Kouga's promised mate had gotten a hold of Chikyu's pelt was only known to herself.

Grieved from her grandfather's passing, and Kouga's rejection, Ayame had gone deep into the mountains to train, leaving her pack to themselves. For two-hundred years, the young she-wolf had trained, pushing her body to it's limits, and frightening the humans who lived at the mountain's base. She had became a legend of horror, and the villagers often gave her offerings in return for their protection. And protect she did (until foreign men had taken over, forcing her from her home). It hadn't taken the bubbly red head to find the chasm that Chikyu Haha had lost her life (the stench of her blood was permanently in the rock), and Ayame had traveled deep into the mountain, until she had found the pelt of the great she-wolf, untouched by time. It's chocolate brown coat shined brightly, and was as soft as anything. It still held her essence, so the red head had decided to bring it back, as prize for Kouga if he had ever decided to take her back.

Since then, Ayame had kept the pelt safe with her grandfather's, protected from the humans, who no longer feared demons enough to cower. Instead, the feared the youkai kind enough to hunt, and kill. It was a terrifying time for ookami kind, and any other demon.

"Stop thinking about that." Ayame scolded herself once she noticed what mood her thoughts were putting her in. "That time is over, and while human's are still not as accepting as us as we'd _like_, this isn't the 1940's. Things are different now." The young girl stated firmly, and continued on her way back to the ookami clan headquarters.

"_Kagome-chan? Is this about a_ boy?" Ayame felt her heart miss a beat in her chest, and then jump around madly to correct it's error. She had never heard the name of the young miko for nearly five hundred years.

"_Err... well..._" The green eyed wolf youkai whipped her head in the direction of the two girls talking. They were young, seeming to be in middle school, only 15 years of age. Ayame felt her breathing hitch in her throat as she recognized the green and white sailor uniform, and the long, raven hair of the girl in question. There was no doubt, it was her. It was Kagome Higurashi. The red head gawped openly as she watched the miko and her school friend walk away while talking about some foul tempered boy. It was impossible, it was _inconceivable_!

_"Girl from the future, is now in the present."_ Ayame found herself thinking, and without another word, ran down the street, ignoring the protest from her feet. Though her shoes were gorgeous, they were not meant for running, or any movement faster than a runway-strut.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Ayame burst into the ever-bustling ookami headquarters, feet nearly bleeding, and arms ready to fall off. She was exhausted, but determined. Marching forwards, white trenchcoat flying out behind her, the she-wolf glided past everyone without a glance in their direction. Any wolf foolish enough to get in her way was hurled to the side due to her might (strengthened by about fifty lbs in shopping purchases). Her youkai blood was flowing fast through her bloodstream at the sight of her rival for her mate. Before when she had seen Kagome, she was still a child, not ready for such things as mating and family. Now that she was grown, things had changed. She became competitive, feral. The men she passed only had to sniff the air to hide their tails behind their legs and run. Ayame would have no other than Kouga, and her scent passed that message along nicely.

As she reached Kouga's office, the door burst open, and Kouga ran through it, nearly bulldozing the small youkai over, but Ayame stood her ground. The black haired demon stopped just before her, and looked down.

"I'm sorry, Ayame, but I don't have time. I- there's something urgent I need to-" Kouga's rant was cut short as Ayame grabbed the lapels of his brown jacket, and pulled his face down to her level. Pure youkai instinct fueling her actions, the princess of the white wolves kissed Kouga. It wasn't chaste, it wasn't something small, and it wasn't innocent. Her fangs lengthened as she placed the hard kiss upon the expecting man, and growled with pleasure as he responded correctly, his arms wrapping themselves tightly around her waist, and his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth, asking her tongue for a dance.

Pulling apart quickly, Ayame nuzzled into the crook of the dazed and confused youkai, one thought in mind.

_"You're _my_ mate, Kouga. And you know it, too."_

* * *

Yes, I know. Some very OOC thought processing from Kouga, but... maybe time had matured him... or something. **  
**

**(1)** From here on out it will get VERY confusing. Since Sesshomaru believes that (modern) Kagura is Kazane, that is what he and she will be referring her (M-kagura) as. To Kumo and Kanna, she is still Kagura, and to nearly everyone else, she is nameless for now.

**(2)** Chikyou Haha means Earth Mother (or at least that's what google translate said (and that is the as far as my research will go)) Her and her story is completely made up by me.

I would just like to say... I wrote Ayame's part in... 20-25 minutes. I am proud of myself


	6. Death Isn't So Sure

**Death Isn't So Sure**

**.the duty of a wolf prince.**

Kouga stared dumbly at the red headed demon in his arms. She hid her face in the crook of his neck, and the wolf prince could feel her lips against his pulsing neck. She had surprised him, that much was evident. Regrettably, Kouga pulled away from the trembling girl in his arms, and stepped back to a reasonable distance. He didn't have the time to deal with Ayame. Kagome was in danger and he needed to sound the alarm.

"Kouga. We need to tal-" Ayame started, but was cut off quickly by the dark prince.

"Not now." He growled out of desperation. He needed to leave, and quickly. "I need to do something first, something very important." Ayame's eyes narrowed dangerously, and her hair seemed to crackle with electricity at her future mate's words, but she held her tongue.

"Listen. Take the day off and wait for me at my apartment. Satsu'll tell you the location, and I'll be there in an hour, two tops." He was about to run off, but Ayame's hand held onto his arm, stopping him.

"What's going on?" Her voice was now laced with worry instead of fury, and her eyes looked up to his in concern. Biting his lip, Kouga decided that his cause could wait another minute or two.

"Naraku's back. You remember him, right?" Kouga watched as memories of the past flashed through Ayame's mind. Yes, she remembered Naraku, though she hadn't been a large part in his defeat, or even his rise to power.

A flicker of fear flashed in the white wolf's eyes, and Kouga realized how terrifying the whole situation really was. An enemy of the past, the strongest of most deceitful perhaps in history, had returned from the dead. What was worse, he was in a position of power once more. From the police files, it seemed that Kumo was in control of most of Tokyo's underground. The leader of a drug ring held as much power now, as the emperors of old times did their own regions. Kumo would be in possession of guns, men, and drug money. He was dangerous, indeed, but nothing that Kouga couldn't fight now. His pack were tough, and numerous. Years of bounty hunting and vigilante business had been perfect training.

"What will you do now?" Ayame's voice was soft, but strong. Knowing that Naraku wasn't enough to make the vibrant red head break down and cry. One look at her, and Kouga realized that she was ready to fight alongside him while he brought the man down. The thought made him fearful. If Naraku was strong enough to survive their final attack on him, unnoticed by history, then he was a lot stronger, and more dangerous than any of them thought.

"I have to warn the others. Shippou and Sesshomaru." Kouga bit his lip at the thought of the two youkai. He hadn't seen either of them in ages, it being nearly a century since all three of them had last gotten together. While Naraku's threat was at it's peak, Kouga hadn't thought much of the two demons. In the past, they neither of them were of much concern to the other. They had the same enemies (and all of them held a strong dislike for Inuyasha, in their own way) but that was all. Now, five hundred years later, it was only the kitsune who bothered to stay in touch. Kouga was glad for that. It would make his job easier, getting a hold of the kitsune and the dog demon. They could help with his cause.

Without pausing to inform Ayame of his situation, Kouga sped out of the Ookami headquarters as though Hell itself was at his heels. He needed to hurry.

Stores, shoppers and cars blurred past him as he ran, full speed. It had been a while since he had ran fast enough to stir up a tornado behind him, and he felt his spirit rise at the familiar sensation. To the people he passed, he was nothing more than a strong wind blowing past, and Kouga paid them no mind. He was in a hurry. He would go to the old kitsune, and then they would _both_ warn Kagome of the danger.

"Shippou would want to inform Sesshomaru, as well." Kouga muttered to himself as the wind blew his black hair back. "That old mongrel would be useful, as long as he does the job _right_ this time..." The wolf prince let out a low grunt as he sped up, and bolted down the busy street. He didn't know what would happen once he told the kitsune of what he saw. There was a high probability that the old demon wouldn't believe him. And as for getting the inu youkai involved, there was only a slim chance. Sesshomaru didn't have much of a bone to pick with Naraku, but surely he would realize how bad it would be if he had returned.

**.the discovery of the lord's ward.**

Kazane poked her head out of the lavishly decorated room, checking to see that no one was looking. She had stayed in one of Lord Sesshomaru's spare rooms since she had gotten back from the small spat between her and the owner of the mansion. There wasn't much to do, no books or even a tv to watch, but there were several interesting paintings. Kazane had stared blankly at them as her mind wandered, but that soon lost her interest. Her thoughts always returned to the silver-haired dog demon. She knew him, that much she knew, but from where or when, the red eyed teen had no idea.

Deciding that nobody was about to catch red handed in the act of leaving a spare room, the wind witch walked gingerly down the hall. Due to the pain medication, the normally unbearable agony of bruised and cracked ribs had died down to a low throb, nothing the black haired maiden couldn't handle.

Following the long hallway, Kazane came at a crossroads of sorts. To her right was the way to Lord Sesshomaru's dining room, where she had visited only a few hours before, but to her left was unmarked territory. Feeling adventurous, the red eyed beauty took the left, her ears perked for the sounds of footsteps. She didn't know if she was allowed to wander around the strange house, but she didn't want to risk asking.

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission..." Kazane smirked as she followed the hall, her bare feet muffled on a long, red carpet. Suddenly, the wall on her left ended, and a polished, wooden banister took it's place. The wind witch found herself at the top of a grand staircase, red carpet following down the center of it's marble steps. Kazane's eyes widened at the luxury, and gave a low whistle and started down the stairs.

The banister was smooth as marble under her hand, and the actual marble under her feet was frozen to the touch, making her shiver slightly. The house was so quiet it was eerie, and Kazane was glad when she had reached the first floor.

Before her stood what she assumed to be the main entrance to the mansion. Two large double oak doors leered down at her, and the wind witch took a hard right, to a more friendly looking passage. There was no doorknob on the door to the right of the stairs, and Kazane hesitantly gave it a small push. The dark wooden door swung open, and the wind witch entered, her heart racing. The room inside was dark, but warm, and the unprofessional dancer's hands ran up and down the walls to find a light switch. With a click, she found one, and the room was brought to light.

It was a library Kazane had found herself in. Books were lined on shelves as tall that reached up to the ceiling, and the young girl stared in amazement. Near the back of the room, a fireplace stood by two desks, it's contents only low embers. At one of the desks, a large green book was standing, it's pages open to about it's middle pages. Kazane stared in confusion at why someone would leave a book like that, when she noticed two very small feet under the desk, hanging suspended in the air. Suddenly, the book toppled over to it's side, and the person hiding behind it was visible.

"Oh. I thought you were Fluffy-sama. He normally comes in here to check up on me." It was a young girl, no older than ten, with bright brown eyes and messy black hair. The chair she sat on was too big for her, and her feet brushed against only air as she kicked them back and forth. She smiled warmly at the wind witch, her eyes holding too much curiosity for Kazane's liking. Noticing what the young girl had said, the wind witch snorted with laughter.

"Fluffy-sama, that's good." Kazane chuckled, but said no more. The small girl's eyes stared at the wind witch's red, and a smile broke her face once more.

"It's really nice to see you again, Lady Kagura. Do you remember me?"

Kazane looked down at the small child in shock and pure confusion. Her mind was blank and she felt that she couldn't speak. The young girl sat still and waited.

"What's with you two and calling me Kagura?" The wind witch lied once more, deciding to stick to her story. The smile on the child's face dropped slightly, but it didn't stay that way for long.

"Hm. I guess you don't..." She spoke more to herself than Kazane, her eyes looking troubled. "Well, I'm Rin, Sesshomaru's daughter."

"I never knew he had a kid." The wind witch stepped forward and lowered herself to the nearest chair.

"Well, I'm not his _real_ daughter of course. I'm adopted." Rin gave a large smile and Kazane found herself dumbfounded. The child was a chatterbox, and acted like they knew each other.

"And your name for him is Fluffy-sama?" Kazane snorted again, and Rin grinned slyly.

"He doesn't like it, but I think it suites him."

"What makes you say that?" The wind witch was finding it hard not to like the young Rin, and found herself talking with the ten year old girl easy.

"Well, a long time ago, he used to carry around this _huge_ fluffy, feather boa, but it wasn't made of feathers. I actually don't know what it was made of, but he used to let me sleep with it." Rin explained unabashed, and a sudden image flashed in Kazane's mind.

_He was the great dog demon Sesshomaru, ruler of the western lands after his father. The strongest youkai in all of Japan it was rumored. He traveled with a small green toad, a two headed dragon, and a young human girl..._

Kazane clutched her head as it pounded with the force of the migraine. She never got migraines. Letting out a low groan, the wind witch held her head in her hand as her elbow was planted on the wooden desk. Beside her, Rin looked on, her face full of worry and concern.

"Lady Kagura? Are you okay?" She touched the wind witch's upper arm, and the headache passed just as suddenly as it had appeared.

"I'm fine. I think it was just a head rush..." The wind witch muttered, forgetting about her lie and allowing herself to be referred to as Kagura. She was feeling disoriented, and she didn't like having those visions (if that's what they were) about someone she didn't know.

"So is it true that Sesshomaru-sama saved you from the street?" Rin brought Kazane's attention back to their conversation, and the wind witch looked at her questionably.

"How'd you hear about that?"

"I eavesdrop on the servants sometimes. The maids mostly. They gossip to each other all the time." Rin gave a sly smile and Kazane smirked.

"Yeah, he did. Don't know why though. I've never seen him in my life, and then _boom_, there he is."

"He was looking for you, after he saw you in the pub. He thought you were someone he knew, and wanted to make sure that you weren't her." Rin stated indifferently, and Kazane didn't question how an eight year old knew about gentlemen's clubs. There was something off about Sesshomaru's daughter. She seemed to have knowledge beyond her years, though she was only a human.

"This, Kagura girl. That's who he thought I was." She stated, noticing how everyone seemed to be asking for her.

"Yeah. She was an... old friend of Sesshomaru-sama's. She died."

Kazane was about to ask how someone could expect to see someone if they had died, when the door to the library burst open, and two figures came strutting into the large room. The first figure Kazane recognized at once as Sesshomaru himself; the second was tall with long black hair held high in a pony tail. It was the second man that made the wind witch's heart freeze with fear and guilt, but she fought it. She didn't know what she had done to him to feel such feelings, but she didn't want him to know about it. Swallowing her fear, Kazane spoke up to the unexpected party.

"Hey there, Mr. Wolf."

**.the evidence and the belief.**

"You're sure this is what you saw?" Sesshomaru questioned the two maids before him. Kimi and Yoko were the two maids that had changed the wind witch earlier that morning. They had switched her into a pair of his cotton pajama pants, and an old undershirt. Both the dog demon had thrown out before she had arrived, but the girls were resourceful, and they would be rewarded for it. But for now, Sesshomaru was only interested in what they had noticed while they changed the young Kazane from her dance clothing.

"I'm positive, Mr. Daiyoukai, sir. It was as big as my head! A big ugly scar, like a burn mark!" Yoko, the elder of the two maids, insisted. When she had seen the large scar on the girl's back, she had cried out in terror. In her late twenties, she had never seen something so grotesque. Even though the only light they had was from the room's bathroom, the scar had been as clear as day.

"It was in the shape of a spider!" Kimi added onto Yoko's statement, and Sesshomaru nodded gravely.

"You may go." He stated firmly, and the two women left the room with a quick bow. He had hopped that the Kagura look-alike would be just that, a look-alike. But it seemed that it was not so. Identical appearance was to be expected in a reincarnation. A familiar attitude and behavior would also be accepted, and it was nothing that they held the same powers (the two miko's did, after all). But what was strange was the scar. Kagura had the scar on her back to show her connection with Naraku. To show physically that she was made from his own flesh. If she was freed from the abomination, then there should have been no marking on her body that in any way resembled or symbolized him. That Kazane would have the same scar... that was strange. It would suggest that the wind witch was not free from Naraku's influences at all.

The dog demon leaned over his desk, his weight supported on his hands, his elbows locked. With a low sigh, the silver haired man ran his hand through his hair. The wind witch was hiding something. Lips curled into a snarl, Sesshomaru thought about his time with the red eyed demoness. She was closing herself from him, that he knew. She didn't know what to think about him, but at times, she _recognized_ him. And when he had asked her about Kagura, her eyes and mind were closed to him. She became a brick wall for what he could tell of her thoughts.

"She's very good at lying." The inu youkai growled at himself. His temper rose at the thought of being lied to, but he fought against it. Now was not the time to jump into action. Breathing evenly, the golden eyed man lowered himself into his chair, and poured himself more scotch, thinking what a wonderful Irish drink the amber liquid was.

It was at that moment that a knock on his study door came, and Sesshomaru called for them to enter.

"Mr. Daiyoukai, sir. A man named Ookami is here to see you. He says that it's urgent, and you'll be very interested in what he has to say." Kimi came back into the room, her eyes timid. Her boss had always intimidated her.

"Send Kouga in." Sesshomaru decided. After nearly a century of not seeing anyone from his past years except for Jaken, it seemed nearly everyone who hadn't gotten themselves killed in the feudal era was trying to reach him in the last two days.

_"All that's missing now is a call to from Oka-san."_ The dog demon muttered bitterly as a tall, tanned man walked into his study. His hair was just as long as the inu youkai remembered it from the Warring State Era, and in the same style too. But Kouga had changed in his years. He was taller, and broader in the chest and shoulders. His face was longer with age, and his blue eyes shone back darkly. He was more dangerous than in his younger years, but more mature. More ruthless and less reckless. It suited him well.

"How may I help you, Mr. Ookami." Sesshomaru spoke curtly, almost mocking the young prince before him. Kouga gave a wolfish grin in response.

"I have news that you might find disturbing... if you don't know of it already. Wouldn't be surprised if you heard about every happening in this city." The ookami leader joked, making Sesshomaru's eyes darken with dislike. While he was a leader of a cold fist and detachment from his armies and allies, Kouga was a person of his people. They were two polar opposites in the way they ruled their lands and people.

"Go on, wolf." Sesshomaru spoke, unimpressed as usual and Kouga's smile switched to a more serious expression. Without stalling with an opening, as the kitsune had done, the wolf prince simply dived into the matter at hand.

"Naraku's back." The daiyoukai lowered his glass of scotch slowly, regarding Kouga with golden eyes. Without waiting for the dog demon to respond, the ookami pack leader continued.

"I know how it sounds, but he is. I ran into Kanna, one of his detachments fro-"

"Kagura's sister." Sesshomaru interrupted. He knew who Kanna was. "The one who committed suicide."

"Yeah. She's back too. At first I thought she was reborn, but _she knows_. She knows who I am. Said my name and everything." Kouga paced back and forth as he ranted, and Sesshomaru watched. The news was unsettling, but the dog demon never showed it.

"I think Naraku came back as this drug dealer named Kumo. He owns this whorehouse or something down in the bay, _The Hell Hole_, I think it's called." Sesshomaru placed his glass on the desk and sat up straight, his attention fully on the wolf prince before him, not that Kouga noticed. "When I went there, Kanna opened the door, dressed as well... a whore herself. She recognized me, though. And if she's back, and knows about... well everything, then what about the others? Naraku had at least a dozen detachments, and none of them were a piece of cake to deal with. What if Akago's back, or Hakudoushi? What if Kagura's back!" At the name of the wind witch, Kouga's lips curled into a sneer and a growl was heard. Sesshomaru remembered the hatred the wolf demon held for the red eyed witch, for killing his pack. Kogua had sworn revenge on Naraku's detachment.

"Kagura _is_ back." Sesshomaru stated simply, and Kouga stopped his pacing, his face red with fury.

"What!"

"She's back." The dog demon stared at the wolf prince with cold, golden eyes, and Kouga's face turned from red to white, and then back to red.

"Where is she, and how do you know?" Kouga snarled, his hands clenching and unclenching in his anger.

"I know because I've talked to her. She's here." The wolf demon stood still, unmoving, for nearly a minute. Suddenly he rushed forwards, and grabbed the silver haired man by the front of his shirt. Sesshomaru stood still as Kouga held him against the wall, his breathing irregular, and his pulse thumping wildly.

"Where is she! You bastAARRRRRGGGG" Kouga howled in pain as Sesshomaru grabbed onto his wrists, his nails glowing neon green. Kouga jumped back quickly, holding his wrists and hunched over himself. Sesshomaru stood at his full height, regarding the ookami youkai with cold, calculating eyes. He didn't have to tell Kouga never to touch him again, the wolf got the message.

"I'll show her to you, but while she's under my care no harm shall fall upon her. She's my property, and a wolf would do well to respect that." It was his inner demon speaking, not him, but Sesshomaru allowed it. Rising quickly, the dog demon headed towards the door, giving Kouga a look that plainly said 'Are you coming?' The wolf demon followed.

"This news about Naraku returning is disturbing indeed. With him back, and in power. He's after something in this era." Sesshomaru led Kouga through his mansion. He knew that the wind witch wouldn't be in her room (the door was open when he passed, and there were maids changing the sheets), so he followed her scent. It was strange, having her essence in his home.

"I think he's after the Shikon no Tama." Kouga talked as Sesshomaru led him, his tone bitter. "Kagome's from this time, and she brought the jewel back with her. From what I've heard, it was in her body." Sesshomaru stopped at a small, wooden door at the foot of the great staircase. The dog demon turned to Kouga, his eyes as cold as always.

"When I asked the woman if Kagura meant anything to her, she told me no, and that her name was Kazane. I believed that she was only a reincarnation, and would have no memory of her past life, who Naraku was, or me. She lied to me, though about what I don't yet know. The spider scar on her back is still there, so I imagine that she's still under Naraku's hold." Sesshomaru spoke quickly, explaining his thoughts to the wolf demon before him. He wasn't doing it for Kouga's sake, he just needed his motives known so that the wolf prince wouldn't kill his guest before he could get some answers from her.

"Leave her be for now. She won't remember or recognize you anyway." The dog demon growled, and his inner demon purred with satisfaction.

"Hai, sure whatever." Kouga snapped back, irritated at the dog's behavior. With a small nod, Sesshomaru opened the door to his private library, and stepped inside.

Her scent was everywhere, filling the room with her strange fragrance. The stench of Naraku wasn't as strong in this life as it had been, but it was still present. What was more apparent, however, was the smell of freshness about her. She didn't smell of flowers like most women (that made him sneeze or his nose and eyes water) or of some strange, synthetic fruit. She smelled like her element, the air, bringing different fragrances at every chance. One minute she's a valley of flowers, the next she's the ocean. It was always faint, and fresh.

The wind witch noticed his presence, and whipped around to see them. Her eyes bore into his once, her ruby orbs searching deep within his, before she glanced over at Kouga. Sesshomaru stiffened once he noticed the blood drain from her face and a look of recognition danced in her eyes. She knew of the wolf prince.

"Hey there, Mr. Wolf." She spoke up, her tone catty and slightly mocking. Beside him, Sesshomaru felt the wolf tense with anger, before forcing it down. It was then that Sesshomaru noticed Rin.

She had been his ward since the Feudal Era, traveling by him for five centuries now, and staying as the same ten year old girl. It seemed impossible for a young mortal girl to remain with a youkai, but Rin was different. Rin had belonged to Hell.

When she had died the first time, Tenseiga had revived her. When she died the second time, Tenseiga was of no use, and Sesshomaru had to travel to Hell itself to get her back. He had succeeded, but at a cost. Rin was no longer really living, rather, she was undead. Her body was real, and her own. She still had a heart that pulsed, and air in her lungs, but she was different. She didn't age. Her mind grew, and she often learned many new things, but she herself never grew from the ten year old she had been when she died a second time. And it wasn't that she couldn't die. It had just became her choice. When she was ready, she would let herself be taken to Hell to die. This was something both she and Sesshomaru knew. It was something they had accepted. When Sesshomaru died, Rin would accept death herself.

"You haven't been bothering your guest, have you Rin?" Sesshomaru asked his daughter, ignoring the glaring wolf beside him for the moment.

"No. Kagura and I are just talking." The small girl smiled widely, and the dog demon turned his attention to the wind witch. His eyes were so cold the wind witch felt that the was drowning in the pacific ocean. In an instant, Kouga had lunged past Sesshomaru, and had Kagura up against the brick wall, next to the dying fire. His arms were clenched tightly on her upper arms, and her sore back screamed in protest despite the pain killers.

"You have answers to give us, _Kagura_." The wolf demon snarled at the wind witch. She gasped for breath against the numbing pain in her back and rips. Kouga slammed her against the stone wall once more, and the company around him could hear a loud snap as something broke.

Kagura trembled under his hold, and Kouga grinned wolfishly.

**.a memory and more gained.**

Kagura shuddered as memories flooded her mind. Visions of ancient warriors and demons danced before her, and she felt a wave of nausea pass through her as she recognized who she saw. Sesshomaru and Kouga as Feudal lords, both menacing and dangerous. Next a woman she never saw in a schoolgirl outfit from the present, and a boy with silver hair and dog ears. They weren't familiar, but she felt that she should know them. The last images made her shudder once more, this time in revulsion. She saw her father, red eyes and tangled black hair, so much like her own. But this was a different version of Kumo. Bone-like armor extended from his back, and what looked like tentacles writhed and wriggled behind him. A large, yellow-on-red eye bulged from the outside from his hand. The monster grinned out at her, and Kagura felt her heart beat irregularly in her chest. The pain was unbearable now, and she felt her knees give way from beneath her.

The wolf demon allowed her to fall to the ground, and she clutched her head as memories from a past life intruded her mind, trespassing and destroying her. Suddenly, she knew. She knew of a wolf pack, fallen by a wave of a fan; a wolf prince vowing revenge; an evil called Naraku, who dealt in tricks and scams; a young girl, no older in appearance than eleven, with a mirror that stole souls; and a demon lord, the ruler of Western Japan. A great dog demon that struck fear into humans, and awe in demons. A demon whom she had begged for help. Lord Sesshomaru.

And Kagura remembered her death. How she was given a moment of freedom, before it was taken away from her. She had died free, but had been reabsorbed back into Naraku when her body had been dissolved by Naraku's miasma, just like Muso. She had screamed and fought against her imprisonment, but in the end, she had lost. Naraku had brought her back in this time, her memory wiped, and instead of her heart held as collateral, Naraku held her addiction.

Kagura gasped as tears ran down her cheeks, and she shook from the effort of suppressing the sobs that longed for freedom. Looking up, she noticed that the library was now in ruins. Books and shelves were in pieces, and single pages of all sizes littered the floor. She recognized the damage as her doing. Apparently her powers had lost control.

Kouga stood back from her, glaring at her with malice in his eyes. Sesshomaru stood by him, his expression unreadable as always, and Rin stood beside him. As usual, her face was graced with a fearless grin.

"She remembers now, right Sesshomaru-sama?"

* * *

So that's my reasoning for Rin being there. Basically, she's already dead, so she can't keep on growing old. Sesshomaru took her from hell, so she's _alive_ but she can't grow old... it's like she's stuck. And when Sesshomaru dies, she'll either be with someone she'll want to be with (probably a youkai, so that she wont have to deal with getting old men for boyfriends) and die when it's okay, or just go to hell willingly when Sesshomaru dies. Its all very confusing.


	7. To Take It All Back

**To Take It All Back**

**.sudden realization.**

Kagura leaned against the masonry, the cold stone cooling her heated flesh. She was panting. Before her, three figures watched on, entranced. Rin stared with her ever-present smile, her eyes wide and unblinking. She didn't want to miss a moment of the wind witch's return. To her left, the Wolf Prince stood tall, his face deformed in a fierce glare. Kagura felt her heart rapidly try to gain a rhythm as he looked down at her. She remembered their rivalry, and what she had done to him and his kin.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought of the lives she had ruined. It was a strange experience, having someone else's memories as well as your own. Flashes of her childhood, playing with Kanna; her father's rages; and learning how to dance the way he wanted filled her mind. But they were quickly being overthrown by unfamiliar memories. She remembered blood, and screaming. Bursts of wind, and horrible pain. Finally, someone spoke up, destroying the silence, and Kagura jumped in surprise.

"You are Kagura. The wind user from the past, and a detachment from Naraku." Sesshomaru spoke coolly, and the red eyed woman shuddered at the memories that she held.

"Yes. In a way." Kagura spoke tensely, not knowing how to explain what, exactly, was happening to her. She had two sets of memories, but they both felt _right_. She _was_ Kagura of the Feudal Era. She had fought many demons and humans, had killed many, only to be brought to death by her own creator. The red eyed witch felt a wave of hatred towards the man who had raised her.

"You're a re-animation. The same person brought back, in a different era."

"Yes." Kagura breathed, thankful that someone understood. Beside the dog demon, Kouga (Kagura shuddered at the fact that she knew his name) growled and stepped forwards.

"Different person or the same, it shouldn't matter. She's still in with Naraku, and he's still just as dangerous as before, maybe even more so. What are we going to do about her?" He glared at the sixteen year old, and she brought her legs closer to her body. The ookami youkai scared her. Sesshomaru stared at Kagura, and didn't acknowledge the wolf prince for a while. After a time, he spoke, his voice as cold and emotionless as ever.

"Rin, you will keep Kagura company here." The ten year old nodded with an understanding smile, and the daiyoukai turned to leave without a word, the wolf prince following. Kagura watched them leave in silence. Memories were still threatening to resurface in her mind. The young daughter of Sesshomaru knelt by her side and rubbed her back in soothing circles as the wind witch tried to fight back the nausea that followed the memories.

"You used to call me Lady Kagura." The red eyed demon muttered to the ageless girl, and Rin grinned.

"Still do. I thought you were the prettiest lady I've ever seen." Rin responded and gave a shameless smile. "I wanted Lord Sesshomaru to save you when you asked for his help, but he never did." At this point, Rin's smile diminished, and for a moment a wave of sadness and regret passed over her eyes. Awkwardly, Kagura placed her hand on the small girl's shoulder.

"Looks like I didn't really need it." Kagura muttered, and Rin beamed at the red eyed woman.

"You're here now. And I know that Sesshomaru's glad to see you."

"What?" Kagura looked at Rin in confusion. She remembered the dog demon from long ago. All the times she had seen him he had shown no sign of pleasure or even interest at her appearances. He seemed to see her as more of a nuisance than anything. The very idea that Lord Sesshomaru was even remotely glad to see the wind witch was nearly laughable.

"I mean... why else would he save you, or even take you here? He wouldn't have done it for his own mother!" Rin continued on as though Kagura hadn't said anything. The wind user watched as the ten year old girl rambled on in her own little world, at a loss of what to say.

_'Sesshomaru's glad to see me?'_ Kagura thought to herself, not daring to believe what had been said. Now that her memories of a past life had returned to her, she felt herself growing excited around the white haired demon. She had loved him, more than any other being.

The red eyed witch bit her lip as she realized... she loved him still.

**.the warning of Mr. Wolf.**

Once outside the library, Kouga sped up so that he was walking alongside Sesshomaru instead of behind him, his face stony and grim. The two demons walked in silence, Sesshomaru deep in thought, Kouga in rage.

"So Kagura's back as well, then." He snapped at the stoic youkai, and Sesshomaru finally acknowledged him.

"It would seem so."

"And you're just going to let her alone in the same room with your ward?" Kouga asked incredulously.

"Hai."

"You're mad." At Kouga's statement, Sesshomaru whirled on him, his eyes cold and hard.

"This isn't the same Kagura you remember. Naraku's detachment was in under his complete control. He held her heart, wolf, and could crush it in his palm at any time he wished. She was his slave, not his ally."

Kouga stood speechless at the dog demon before him. Sesshomaru's eyes were clear and alive as he thought about the wind user from the past. He faced Kouga, but was looking at nothing as he remembered the Kagura he once knew, the Kagura who had died for her freedom. She was older than the look-alike in the other room. She was harsh, and cruel, and vulnerable. Though the two wind users were similar, there were was a major difference. The modern Kagura was defensive, not cruel. She had yet to have Naraku's habits imprinted upon her person. As Sesshomaru snapped at the wolf prince, he realized that it was the Demon talking. The Demon who craved to have the wind user as his own.

"You know that Naraku wouldn't just bring Kagura and Kanna back without reason. She may not be his slave anymore, but she'll still be his pawn in his schemes." Kouga pointed out, and Sesshomaru nodded slowly, trying to gain control of his temper.

"She still holds his mark on her back, the spider-shaped burn of Onigumo. I believe it's a sign of her enslavement to him. As long as he holds some sort of power over her, the scar will remain." The daiyoukai was grim as he spoke, his eyes never reaching Kouga's. He was lost in his thoughts.

"Should we warn Kagome?" The wolf prince asked tentatively, and the daiyoukai turned to him.

"Are you that eager to see the human?" Sesshomaru was glad for a change of topic, not that he would show that to the ookami. Kouga felt a growl rise from his chest as he noticed the sudden change of subject, and therefore, change in victim of the conversation.

"If Naraku's plans involve her, then yes. I wish to see her to ensure her safety." The wolf prince spoke through clenched teeth and Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. The dog demon saw through his companion's lies, but he didn't comment on his bluff.

"Very well then. The kitsune has been keeping tabs on her. We'll all go to inform her of the danger she is in." Sesshomaru spoke with command, and Kouga approved. Sesshomaru lead the ookami pack leader to the front entrance, and turned to address him once more.

"We'll leave tomorrow." Kouga didn't need the bow from Sesshomaru to know that his presence was no longer needed. Taking the hint, the wolf prince returned the small bow, and exited the mansion.

"Just remember, Sesshomaru. That bitch still isn't to be trusted." having his final say, Kouga departed from the Daiyoukai's property. Sesshomaru watched the wolf leave, a grim expression on his face. He never did like the ookami prince.

Turning his back to the wolf and closing the front door behind him, Sesshomaru headed back to the library. It was nearing dinner-time, and the chef would have dinner nearly ready for them. While they ate, he would have servants put the library back to the way it was, before Kagura's outburst.

Silent as ever, Sesshomaru entered the library to a strange sight. His ward and his guest were huddled together in a comforting hug. For once, a grin wasn't placed on Rin's face, and Kagura was blushing. Clearing his throat, Sesshomaru made to gain their attention.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Rin exclaimed in glee as she jumped up and away from the red eyed witch. The dog youkai gave the ten year old a curt nod, and turned his attention to the wind user.

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour. You will dine with me, privately," Sesshomaru gave a sideways glance to his ward. "So that you may answer some more of my questions." The daiyoukai spoke as though stating a fact, something that Kagura did not miss. The wind witch crossed her arms in disagreement.

"And you expect me to come just cause you tell me that's what's going to happen?"

"You expect to eat, don't you?" Sesshomaru countered, leaving Kagura speechless and without argument.

"Fine. Call me when dinner's ready." The wind user huffed and prepared to stomp off, but stopped as Sesshomaru spoke up once more.

"My servants will leave something for you to wear. Make sure you do."

**.the dress.**_  
_

_"No way. Not happening. No. Freaking. Way." _Kagura paced Sesshomaru's spare room in the dark, every so often throwing a piercing glare to the object of her disdain. On the neatly made bed (the maid's had gotten to work on cleaning when she had gone off to look for Sesshomaru that morning) was a simple dress of red fabric. Just by holding the thing up to her body, Kagura could tell that the hem would drop the the floor, the back would plunge down to her waist, and the v-neck collar would be uncomfortable to wear in front of the man who had taken her into her home, if only just for the night.

The wind witch had walked into her room to find the red dress neatly folded at the foot of her bed. At first, Kagura looked at the article of clothing with an interest that quickly evaporated once she had seen what the dress actually looked like. With a grunt of disgust, Kagura had thrown the red piece of clothing back onto the burgundy comforter, refusing outright to have anything to do with it.

Kagura stopped her pacing and sat down on the soft bed beside the offending article of clothing. She felt her anger slowly seep away. It was a beautiful dress, sure, and it would lovely on her. The red fabric was the same shade of her eyes, and she knew that wearing it would make her ruby orbs shine. It was a lot classier than anything Kumo had given her to wear.

The wave of hatred came flooding back as she remembered her father. His red eyes and black hair stared back at her with a dark grin, full of malice. From behind closed eyes, Kagura could see his face leering down at her. But as she thought of the man who had raised her, he changed. His hair grew tangled and oily, as though it hadn't been properly washed in decades; His skin paled to something almost sickly and waxy, and his red eyes shone brighter with hate. Old memories fused with new, and Kumo became Naraku.

"No, Naraku _is_ Kumo. That bastard is still _living_." Kagura shivered as though as though ice had been dropped down her back, and her fingers dug deeply into the soft mattress. Her anger for Sesshomaru evaporated as her fear took over, and the wind witch wasn't surprised to find tears in her eyes.

A knock on the door scared Kagura enough to send the already shaken woman to the floor on her knees, and the large wooden door swung open slowly.

"Lady Kagura. Dinner shall be in half an hour, and Lord Sesshomaru requests your company now." A timid maid murmured without stepping foot in the dark room. Before the wind user could respond, the door was closed once more with a barely audible click, and Kagura glared at the red dress on the bed above her.

"I hate you." She grumbled, but knew that her disdain for the article of clothing would change nothing. She wouldn't disobey a direct order from the man who had given her a place to heal, even if said place acted almost more like a prison than a home. Letting out a low huff, Kagura stood up and grabbed the red dress. Slipping off her current clothing (the pajama bottoms and cotton t-shirt Sesshomaru had lent her earlier) and letting them drop to the floor in a pile, Kagura pulled the red dress over her head, and let it drape down her body.

The fabric was light but held tightly at her curves. It was a perfect fit. Kagura adjusted the dress where it needed adjusting, and was surprised at how little she hated it now that it was being worn. The red of the dress brought out her eyes, but the low back still bothered her. Letting out a small huff once more, the wind user let her hair loose from its messy bun, allowing it to flow down her back in messy tangles. Her black tresses managed to hide the disfiguring scar on her back, and for that she was glad.

Turning to the full-body mirror by the door, Kagura cringed at her appearance. Though the dress looked lovely on her, her own body ruined the image of real beauty. Her arms, neck, and shoulders still held marks and bruises, testimony of Kumo's brutality. The black and purple bruises were extremely noticeably against the wind user's pale skin. Kagura shrugged off the bruises. They would fade in time. Without another word or thought, the wind witch made her way across the room and swung the door open, ignoring the scarlet shoes by the doorway. The red pumps were left in her room, along with the dress, but she refused to wear them. She preferred bare feet.

"Here goes nothing." Kagura muttered to herself as she stepped lightly down the deserted halls to the dinning room.


	8. Soulmates Never Die

**Soulmates Never Die**

**.of prying and dying.**

Sesshomaru raised the glass of dark liquid to his lips once more in impatience. He had called for the wind witch nearly fifteen minutes ago, and she had yet to appear. Setting the glass of wine back on the table, the dog demon resisted the urge to change his position in his chair. He knew that fidgeting was unsightly when one was trying to look imposing and powerful.

Releasing a silent sigh, the inu youkai stared into the lit fireplace across the grand room. The flames licked at dry logs placed by servants moments ago, efffectively warming the dark room. Feeling his impatience shave ever thinner, the great dog demon abrutply stood up, and began to pace before the fire place. It had been a long time since someone left him waiting.

His demonic ears pricked as he heard the muted sound of footsteps descend the grand staircase just outside the dining room. His lip curled in distaste when he realized that the person was barefoot.

_"I told her to wear what I gave her. Not to leave what she found unsatisfactory." _The dog demon turned to face the large oak door as it opened, and a red-clad woman entered. Her black hair fell in thick waves down her back, her shoulders shone white like porcelain. Sesshomaru found a low growl rise up from his chest at the sight of the green and yellow bruises on her arms, and around her neck, but he pushed it down.

_"I will not show anger at the evidence of her mistreatment." _The inu youkai scolded himself. With perfect poise, the Western Lord stepped forward towards the wind witch.

Without the red heels, the Kagura look-alike was a head shorter than him, and the feudal lord was forced to look down to her.

"I left shoes for you to wear." Sesshomaru nearly growled at the wind witch.

"I can't walk in heels." The red-eyed woman gave a coy smile, and instantly, Sesshomaru was looking down at Kagura. Not the look-alike child reborn in the present, but the wind witch from his past: the detachment of Naraku.

The demon lord bristled at her lie.

_"Same damn wind witch."_ Sesshomaru forced back a snarl at her disrespect as he lead Kagura to her chair. His hand rested at her lower back, the red cloth of the dress the only barrier between his hand and her bare skin. The very thought made Sesshomaru's inner demon purr with delight. The daiyuokai ignored his demonic instincts, and focused instead of what he needed to know. With his usual elegance, the dog demon escorted Kagura to her seat. He remained standing, the better to look down at her.

"Such a gentleman, Lord Sesshomaru. Seems that they can teach an old dog new tricks." Kagura gave her familiar dark smile to the demon lord, and Sesshomaru found himself fighting against the urge to slap her or pin her down into submission for disrespect. Inside him, the Demon raged, too frustrated to speak anything that made sense. Stiffly, the dog demon sat down in his own seat across from the wind witch. He intended to get her story from her; the whole story.

Pouring a generous amount of wine in Kagura's glass, the inu youkai glanced at the wind witch from behind lowered eyelids. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her dark red lips pouting at being bossed around by a man she hadn't seen or remembered for five hundred years.

"Here. Drink up." Sesshomaru murmured, passing the wind witch the glass full of dark liquid. With delicate hands, the ancient sorceress lifted the glass in a mock toast before bringing it to her lips.

"Cheers, Fluffy." Kagura smirked before taking a long, deep swallow. The wine was rich, and flowed down her throat smoothly. Sesshomaru bristled at being called 'Fluffy', but let it go. He had more important things to do than get distracted by a simple nickname.

"Are you ready to answer my questions now, Wind Witch?" Sesshomaru growled.

"Might as well now." Kagura lowered the wine glass to the table. Having her memories back, she no longer saw herself as Kumo's daughter, but rather, as the demoness she once was, Kagura, the detachment of Naraku.

_'And now that I have my heart, I will earn my freedom... somehow.'_ The red eyed woman thought to herself. Though it was true that she held her heart, her addiction was still in the hands of Naraku.

"Very well. The first thing I must know is this: How did you come back to life?" The silver haired dog demon questioned, his eyes never leaving Kagura's. The wind witch looked down at her hands in her lap, her eyes avoiding Sesshomaru's. She had expected the question to come up, but she wasn't sure how to answer it, and have it make sense to others.

"I'm not sure. I guess that technically, I never died." Kagura chose her words carefully. "The day I died, wasn't the day I died. Instead, I was reabsorbed back into Naraku." Goosebumps ran up Kagura's arms as she remembered her own experience of hell; being reabsorbed back into her creator, and fighting him every second. She remembered her pain, and her torment as she was forced back into the pulsing mass that was Naraku.

"I had became too dangerous for him to let live, so he got rid of me the easiest way he knew how. I was too useful and important for him to just kill, so he decided to hold on to me until such a time that I would be useful. When I was reborn, I was allowed my heart, but my memories were wiped. Instead of being created like before, I grew up, and was taught to believe that he was my father..." Kagura trailed off, remembering her odd childhood.

As she spoke, Sesshomaru had remained quiet, his expression grave. With her in his presence, the voice within him stayed calm and quiet, and for that he was thankful. For a long while, neither the dog or wind demon spoke. Finally, Sesshomaru cut the silence.

"Do you still want him destroyed?" The inu youkai's question made Kagura look up from her lap. The fire in her eyes shone brightly, and with spite in her voice, she growled back.

"More than anything."

**.****many meetings.**

Kagura stared out of the car window, her cheek resting in the palm of her hand. Beside her, Sesshomaru sat in the driver's seat. For once he refused the use of his personal driver, and drove the sleek dark car by himself. His business was urgent, and not something he wanted his staff involved with.

"So where are we going?" Kagura questioned, her tone bored. Earlier that morning, she was presented with clothing to wear, and the announcement that she and Sesshomaru would be going out for the day. With no other information, and a fierce glare from her demon savior, the young woman had no choice but to get dressed and follow along.

"I told you. We're going to see an old friend who can help you in your current... condition." Sesshomaru responded coldly. Rolling her eyes at his cryptic answer, Kagura turned her attention back to the window.

"Better not be a shrink." The dark sorceress muttered, knowing that with his sharp hearing, her driver would hear her.

"We'll be there in five minutes."

True to his word, five minutes later Sesshomaru pulled the vehicle into the parking lot of a small souvenir shop. Kagura gave an unimpressed look towards the dumpy little store, and turned to the dog demon beside her, eyebrow raised.

"This is it?"

"Mind your tongue, wind witch, or I'll leave you in the car.'' Sesshomaru remarked, a knowing smirk on his lips as he gracefully removed himself from his car. Without waiting, the daiyoukai made for the shop's front door at a brisk pace, leaving Kagura behind.

_'Cocky bastard.' _The wind sorceress thought to herself as she removed herself from the car. A strong wind pulled at her hair confined in a tight bun, and the loose clothing around her. The days were getting colder as winter approached, and the crimson eyed woman was thankful for the warm sweater presented to her earlier that morning.

Following Sesshomaru, the wind demoness eyed the souvenir shop with apprehension. From her position outside, the store seemed closed; it's windows dark with no movement from the interior. Reaching the door, she found that it opened with no resistance, and silently, Kagura entered the store.

_'What a dump!'_ Kagura thought to herself as she saw the mess of the store's interior. Artifacts and strange nick-knacks lined the shelves with no clear order or design and objects hung from the ceiling and windows. The crowded room was dark, and without proper lighting, Kagura found herself bumping into things now and then, but thankfully nothing fell.

"Why is _she_ here, Dog?" A spiteful voice spat, and Kagura felt her heart clench in her chest. She had heard the voice just yesterday, and it sounded just as hateful.

"She is here for reasons you will soon find out, Wolf. Now, I will ask you not to use that tone with me again if your life has any value to you." Sesshomaru glared coldly at the wolf prince before him, the tone in his voice easily cowing the hateful youkai.

Kagura stared at Kouga with unease. She remembered clearly what her previous self had did to him and his tribe, and she felt guilt for it. She had killed without mercy, and she knew that the wolf demon would never forgive her for the wrongs she had done him. In her mind, he had every reason to want her dead, and she had every reason to be wary.

"Both of you stop it. We're not here to fight each other." A scolding tone entered the room, and Kagura turned her attention to the one being who she didn't recognize. The older demon in the room sat before her on a tall stool, making him seem taller than his kitsune blood would allow. His rusty-red hair was a mess, standing on end everywhere, and in his lap rested a very old two-tailed cat demon.

"Very well, Shippou. We will continue on with the task at hand." Sesshomaru nodded to the shop's owner, and Kagura's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the kitsune from her past. The older demon was once the annoying little runt that followed around Inuyasha.

"Arigato, Sesshomaru." The small kitsune took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "Naraku is back, that much we can't deny. As for why, I don't know."

"I do. It's because he never left. Somehow, he didn't die." Kouga stood up, his tail bristling and a growl rumbling from his chest. "He's after the Shikon no Tama. He couldn't get it in the past, so now he's been bidding his time, waiting for the right opportunity." Shippou's face suddenly went very pale as the skin drained of blood.

"Kagome brought the jewel from her time. She said that it was in her body, and that's how she was able to travel through time. She wished that the jewel was gone, not that it never existed. Naraku obviously came to this time so that he could get the jewel before it was destroyed, without having to worry about Inuyasha." Kouga explained, his lips set in a firm line as he thought about the manipulating spider getting his hands on the woman he had once loved.

"Which is all the more reason," Sesshomaru cut into Kouga's rant. Standing up, his very figure seemed to light up the dim room, and Kagura felt her eyes drawn to him instantly. "We need Kagura. She knows how our enemy thinks. We didn't have her last time, and we failed. Now, we need someone who knows his true weakness." Sesshomaru turned to Kagura, and the wind demoness felt her face heat up. It was intimidating to have a man of such perfection look at her.

Reading herself to speak, Kagura noticed her hands shake. _"I'm just nervous.'_ She tried to reassure herself.

The wind witch spoke to Kouga. "You're right. He didn't die. Demons once again found his body, and used it to become more powerful. You can't kill Naraku just by hacking and slashing at him, even if he doesn't have the Shikon jewel to regenerate. What keeps him alive is the wrath and hatred of all the demons inside him." Kagura spoke with a look of disgust on her lips. Though she was only half demon, the thought of what her creator did to ensure his survival disgusted her.

Kouga's look of disgust mirrored her own, and the wolf demon sat back down. It seemed that everyone around was sickened by her tale.

"Then waiting for what was left of Naraku to die was what allowed him to live." Sesshomaru summarized. Though it had happened five hundred years ago, the daiyoukai remembered clearly the death of Naraku. How his sword, the Bakusaiga had cancelled out the hanyou's regeneration; how all those against him had waited for what human part was left in Naraku to finally die; and how the young miko had wished for the Shikon no Tama to be gone forever.

"The only way to truly kill Naraku, is to completely purify and destroy him. Otherwise, anything that's left will attract more and more youkai, and he'll just keep coming back." Kagura's voice stayed strong, even as her hands trembled and her body sweated.

_"Withdrawl."_ The word flashed through her mind, but Kagura pushed it away. She would get over it; she had no other choice.

"How are we going to purify Naraku? Powerful miko's aren't very common nowadays, and even if we could find one, they'd never believe us." Kouga growled, his frustration showing. The wolf demon stood imposingly over the other occupants in the room, silently daring them to provide an answer to their problem.

"We could get Kagome."

**.withdrawal.**

Sesshomaru kept his eyes on the road while he drove himself and the wind witch home. In his opinion, the meeting had gone well. They had a possible solution for a five hundred year old pest, and nobody had disemboweled anyone. Though the threats the wolf demon had presented to the wind witch brought a scowl to the demon lord's lips, Sesshomaru was thankful that the ookami prince had, momentarily at least, let go of his grudge against the detachment of Naraku.

_"Just as well. I would hate to have the stubborn wolf's blood on my hands. Bad publicity." _The silver haired demon brought his mind back to ideas of plans and strategies, determined to find the perfect way to bring the spider hanyou out of hiding.

As he delved deeper into his thoughts, the intimidating daiyoukai didn't notice the internal struggle the woman beside him was suffering through.

Kagura's body ached. Her hands shook uncontrollably; her palms and brow was slick with a thin layer of sweat; and her abdomen was clenched tightly as to protect itself from the cramps and pains that shot though her body at every breath. Leaning over, the wind witch rested her head against the car's window, in the hopes that the glass would work to cool her over-heating body. But despite her pain, the crimson eyed woman kept quiet about her suffering.

_"I can get through this... if it doesn't kill me first."_ The wind witch thought morbidly as she grimaced against another wave of pain. _"Damn you, Naraku."_ Kagura cursed her creator, her jaw clenched as she fought against her agony. It wasn't the first time she had gone through withdrawal, but this time was different. Now, after finally escaping Naraku, there was no way she would be able to get her fix.

_"I can pull through this. I have to."_ The wind witch thought determinedly as she held her hands tightly together to stop their shaking. She had felt a pain before, that was to be believed without a doubt. She had lost track of the number of times Naraku had beaten her to a bloody pulp, leaving her to heal naturally (a feat that was almost as painful as the beating itself). She had gone through hell and back while working for Kumo, her body at the mercy of cruel humans and demons. But the worst pain she had ever experienced was nearly five hundred years ago, when Naraku had held her heart.

Kagura's jaw clenched as she remembered the pain the spider hanyou had inflicted upon her every time he gave her beating heart a squeeze. The pain of her stopped heart would catch the air in her chest, and on more than one occasion she had passed out while flying, waking up later to the pain of her body rapidly healing itself.

The wind witch dug her nails into the leather interior of the car, and bit her tongue to muffle any sounds of pain that tried to escape her throat. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fight off the agony much longer. Already the edges of her vision were blurred as she fought to remain conscience.

Suddenly, the passenger side door opened, and Kagura realized that they had arrived at Sesshomaru's mansion without her noticing. Collecting her wits, the wind witch ignored her savior's offered hand. She knew he would notice how her body shook if he touched her.

_"Kami, let me get through this."_


End file.
